Ontario Basketball to host 2020 National Championships in Kingston
Canada Basketball and Ontario Basketball (OBA) are pleased to announce that Queen’s University and the city of Kingston will host the 2020 U15 and U17 Boys National Championships.
Kingston will host approximately 20 boys U15 and U17 teams comprised of the best basketball talent their provincial and territorial area has to offer, as they compete for the national title in each age group.
“We are thrilled to be working closely with Kingston and Queen’s University to run a successful National Championship in our province,” said Jason Jansson, Executive Director of Ontario Basketball. “We plan to innovate wherever possible and host a memorable experience for the visiting teams and all basketball fans.”
Competition dates for the 2020 National Championships are tentatively scheduled for August 3-8, 2020, with finals taking place on Saturday August 8th.
“National Championships are a critical component to the continued growth and development of the game of basketball across our country,” said Glen Grunwald, President & CEO, Canada Basketball. “Many players within our national team programs have proudly represented their province or territory in the past and I look forward to watching some of the nation’s top players in Kingston next summer.”
Team Ontario will be seeking a comeback next summer after finishing 2019 National Championships with silver medals in both boys’ divisions, falling to gold-medal-winning Quebec in both final games.
“Team Ontario continues to be a reflection of the wealth of basketball talent in our province, but even more than our team’s end result we are excited to play host to our counterparts from the other provinces and territories and show them what Ontario and Kingston have to offer,” said Stephanie Rudnick, president of Ontario Basketball’s Board of Directors. “In less than a year we hope to see you all at National Championships.”
All venues of competition, practice courts, residences and banquet hall meals are encompassed in the campus at Queen’s University, making the event a one-stop solution for participants to easily walk between all locations.
The playing courts have full-FIBA lines and can accommodate 800 spectators in one gym and up to 1900 in the main gym for what’s sure to be a packed finale when gold medals are on the line.
Jeff Downie, Director of Business Development at Queen’s University states, “We are thrilled to work with Canada Basketball, Ontario Basketball, Tourism Kingston, and our Jr. Gaels partners in Kingston Impact to bring this National competition to Kingston. We look forward to rolling out the red carpet for all the competitors while on Queen’s campus – from accommodations, to meals, and to the competition venue in the Athletics & Recreation Centre (ARC). What an opportunity for our Kingston community, and our youth athletes and Jr. Gaels, in Kingston to watch and experience a level of competition they can aspire to.”
While in Kingston you’ll experience first-hand the history, culture and activities that Canada’s first capital city has to offer. From the waterfront to the scenic downtown there’s lots to do in one of Canada’s oldest cities during downtime at National Championships.
“Kingston looks forward to welcoming the U15 and U17 Boys National Championships next summer,” says Megan Knott, Executive Director of Tourism Kingston. “Hosting this event is a privilege for our city since the national championships are based on a provincial hosting rotation. We are proud to showcase what Kingston has to offer teams and fans across the country.”
This event will be the second largest national basketball event to come to Kingston. The 2020 National Championships will be followed by the 2021 U SPORTS Women’s National Basketball Championships.
Games will be live streamed through an online platform that will be free to watch but we would encourage basketball fans across the province to support Team Ontario in person, and join us in Kingston for a first-class event experience.
Women’s National Championships will be contested the same week for U15 and U17 women in Prince Edward Island. In 2021, St. Catharines, Ontario will host the Canada Games where U17 men’s and women’s teams will compete for the National Championship while U15 men’s and women’s will take place in PEI.
For more information, please contact:
Matt Walker
Manager, Communications
Canada Basketball
Devin Gray
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Ontario Basketball