Media release

Mystery Creek and Hamilton Events partner to bring basketball final to the city

Posted On: Wednesday, 9 July 2003

The NBL basketball final will be played at Mystery Creek Hamilton thanks to a sponsorship deal struck between Council's Hamilton Events and Mystery Creek.

The deal will see a joint sponsorship that will cover most of the costs of staging the game at the Mystery Creek pavilion.

Mystery Creek General Manager, Barry Quayle, says both Mystery Creek and Hamilton City Council recognise the importance of bringing events such as major basketball games to the city, both from an economic point of view and the contribution these events make to the vibrancy of the city.

"The only thing that can get in the way of the Titans playing the final here is a major reversal of form. Assuming the Titans do make the final, as we have done, the game will be played on Saturday 16 August or Sunday 17 August," he says.

Basketball Waikato, Hamilton City Council and Mystery Creek have been in joint discussions for the past few weeks to secure the final for the city.

Council's Event Sponsorship deputy chairman, Councillor Grant Thomas, says the basketball final will be a coup for the city, closely following this Thursday's Tall Blacks match against the Czech Republic, also at Mystery Creek.

"I understand that the basketball test match is a complete sell out this Thursday night. The test match and next month's NBL final will help to cement Hamilton as one of the basketball strongholds of the country," says Cr Thomas.

"We are determined to promote Hamilton city as an event centre because events stimulate widespread positive economic advantages," he says.

Barry Quayle says the way in which Hamilton City Council, Mystery Creek and the Waikato Basketball Council have worked together on the sponsorship arrangement is good news for the future.

"We are hoping that there are other events that we can identify and support which will make a real difference to the city," he says.