Boomers Bound for Bendigo

By Rob Burton - NBL Media

The Australian Boomers are Bendigo-bound for the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers on August 29.

For the first time since 2018, Bendigo will turn green and gold for one night only, as Australia hosts Iran at Red Energy Arena.

The Boomers have had a busy two months of success, including an undefeated World Cup qualifying series in Melbourne and achieving gold at the FIBA Asia Cup in Jakarta.

Olympic bronze medallist Nick Kay and FIBA Asia Cup gold medal captain, and Adelaide 36ers star, Mitch McCarron, will headline the national team lineup.

“We’re really looking forward to another opportunity to play in front of Bendigo fans later this month, we know they love their basketball and we’re expecting Iran to suit up a very competitive team. It’s a great stadium and we really hope to pack it out,” McCarron said.

“It’s been an incredible couple of months of international basketball, so it’s going to be great to continue building on that momentum throughout the fourth round of the World Cup qualifiers.”

Drawn in Group F for the second round of the qualifiers, Australia will compete against Kazakhstan, China, Iran, Japan and Bahrain throughout the remainder of the qualifying period in the lead-up to the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

It will be a quick four-day turnaround for the Boomers who will travel to and take on Bahrain on August 25, before returning home to face Iran in Bendigo.

Tickets will go on sale on Friday, August 12.