Ballarat Skoda Rush Co-Captain Joy Burke will head home to Taiwan on Sunday evening as she enters a training camp for her national team Chinese Taipei ahead of the upcoming FIBA Asia Women’s Cup. The Asia Cup, being held in India, is part of the new qualifying system for the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain.
Burke will play with the Ballarat Skoda Rush on Friday night in Albury and Sunday afternoon in Ballarat against Dandenong before heading to the airport for a mid-night flight back to Taiwan. Burke said “I’m excited to again represent my country, it is such an honour to play on the world stage and I appreciate being given this opportunity”.
Burke will attend a five day camp with the Chinese Taipei National Team before heading to India to compete for the cup. “It’s going to be busy, but I am looking forward to joining the team who beat a full strength New Zealand last week in a practice game.”
Burke will miss only two weekends of Basketball and unfortunately due to the slow start to the Rush fixture she will miss four key games against rivals Bendigo, Albury Wodonga, Frankston and Launceston.
While Burke is excited to again play at the highest level she is disappointed it clashes with the Skoda Ballarat Rush season “As a team we have started to play some great basketball and we still have a chance of making finals so missing four games is going to be hard, but I have faith in the girls and I hope when I come back we are preparing for the play offs”.
Basketball Ballarat CEO Peter Eddy said “Everyone at Ballarat is really excited for Joy to play for her country, we see how hard she works and how deserving she is of this opportunity” Eddy added “Joy is another example of the pathway that Ballarat provides for players to achieve their Basketball dreams.”
Burke is the second player named in a National team behind Craig Moller who was named in the emerging Australian Boomers squad for the World University Games. Manager of Athlete and Coach Development Nathan Cooper-Brown said “Although the Miners and Rush will miss Joy and Craig while they are away, here at Basketball Ballarat we are about providing a pathway, and being a crucial stepping stone for athletes and coaches to improving themselves, and we couldn’t be more excited for them.”
Meanwhile Moller and Sam Short will miss Sunday’s GMHBA Miners game against Dandenong as Melbourne United are playing Team China at Margret Court Arena in Melbourne. Cooper-Brown said “this late in the season we can’t replace quality guys like Sam and Craig, but this is an opportunity for others to step up and perform, importantly as we head towards our finals campaign.”
Skoda Ballarat Rush and GMHBA Miners games
Friday July 14
Rush vs Albury Wodonga @ Albury – 6:30 Tip off
Miners vs Albury Wodonga @ Albury – 8:30 Tip off
Sunday July 16
Rush vs Dandenong @ MARS MINERDOME – 12noon Tip off
Miners vs Dandenong @ MARS MINERDOME – 2pm Tip off
Joy Burkes Chinese Taipei Fixture and details
http://www.fiba.com/womensasiacup/2017
(Australian times and days)
Sunday July 23
8pm Chinese Taipei vs North Korea
Monday July 24
10:15pm China vs Chinses Taipei
Tuesday July 25
3:30pm New Zealand vs Chinese Taipei
Wednesday July 26
Rest Day
Thursday July 27
TBC – Quarter Finals
Friday July 28
TBC – Semi Finals
Saturday July 29
TBC – Final
For more information on the GMHBA Ballarat Miners, Ballarat Skoda Rush or McDonalds Youth League teams please contact Elite Teams Administrator Melissa Thomas via 5330 7604 or Melissa.Thomas@ballaratbasketball.com