Featured image credit: London Lions
The London Lions basketball team has announced plans to develop a new purpose-built arena in the city.
The “state-of-the-art” venue would serve as the long-term home for elite basketball in the English capital. The Lions, which play in the Super League Basketball, said the arena would provide a platform for top-tier competition and foster grassroots development of the sport.
The proposals also include plans to create a training and game-day environment for athletes, including the Lions’ men’s and women’s teams. The arena would be used for youth programmes, community engagement initiatives and talent development.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has welcomed the plans, which would tie in with his commitment to introduce greener spaces. The mayor is also keen to bring more NBA games to London, and the Lions are themselves seeking to re-enter top European competition following the team’s takeover by technology investor Tesonet last year.
Khan also recently committed to setting up a first-of-its-kind basketball taskforce to grow the sport in London. His support for the Lions’ plans comes after he last year rejected a project from Sphere Entertainment to build a new 17,500-seat arena in Stratford, East London on the grounds that it would have an “unacceptable negative impact” on locals.
The Lions currently play at Stratford’s 6,000-capacity Copper Box Arena (pictured), which was built for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
More details on the location and timeline for the new arena project are set to be announced in the coming months. The Lions did not confirm the capacity for the arena, but the Financial Times has reported that the facility will have 10,000 seats and will be located “centrally”.
Tesonet has expressed support and enthusiasm for the new venue project, and has committed to providing the Lions with the required funding if all the necessary construction requirements move ahead. Tesonet also owns a stake in Lithuanian club BC Zalgiris, which regularly sells out EuroLeague games at the 15,000-seat Zalgirio Arena.
Khan said: “London is now the sporting capital of the world and I am thrilled to support the London Lions as they pursue their ambitious vision to establish a state-of-the-art basketball facility in our city. This venue can be a major new hub for basketball in the capital, creating positive opportunities for young people, attracting new fans to the sport and hosting more events which would provide a significant boost to the economy. We are dedicated to helping the London Lions secure their long-term home as we work together to build a better, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Lions chief executive Lenz Balan added: “Our ambition is to put London firmly on the global basketball map and this project is a major step in that journey. We want to create a world-class purpose-built home for elite hoops and a place where the community can come together to experience the energy and passion of basketball at the highest level.”
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