Victoria Olympic basketball qualifying tournament to start without fans, organizers hopeful spectators can join later
The basketball court floor that the Toronto Raptors won the NBA title on in 2019 is getting ready to be installed at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria. It’s in preparation for the next week's Olympic Qualifying Tournament that begins on June 29.
"Nick Nurse is coaching the Canadian Team so that would definitely be something that I would be interested to see," said Kento Hirano, who was shooting hoops at the outdoor basketball courts across from the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Wednesday.
Even if Hirano had a ticket, he wouldn’t be able to go. In fact, as of Wednesday, nobody will be able to watch the tournament in person. At least not in the month of June.
"We’re hopeful that on July the 1st, that we can make available some spectators," said Clint Hamilton, chair of the steering committee for the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Some 27,000 tickets were sold for the tournament, and that was going to mean a huge economic boom for Victoria. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
"Now, obviously we’d hoped for a large tourism impact, but that’s not the reality and that’s been the impact of COVID," said Hamilton.
"Certainly there is more economic impact from having it than not," said Bill Lewis, chairman of the Hotel Association of Greater Victoria.
Players, media and crew will all be living in a bubble environment while they’re here. They will only be allowed to visit three venues -- the CARSA gym facility at the University of Victoria, the Save-On-Foods Centre and their hotel.
"One hotel in Victoria has been completely booked out to operate in a bubble environment, and so that hotel obviously is getting a huge benefit," said Lewis. "Good for them."
Players are believed to be staying at the Delta Ocean Pointe, although the hotel wouldn’t confirm that on Wednesday.
There are some positives still for the island. Approximately $5 million of direct spending has already taken place, and Victoria could see some tourism dollars in the future, as a result of international media coverage.
"Tens of millions of viewers will be watching the games," said Hamilton.
"This FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be broadcast and streamed across the world," he said. "Victoria will be resplendent (with what's shown in) our venue and the impact for our city, our region, our province, our country will be significant."
Players are expected to begin arriving in Victoria over the next few days.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
A teen was found buried in a basement in New York. An engraved ring helped police learn her identity two decades later
For more than two decades, the unknown victim was nicknamed "Midtown Jane Doe" because she was found in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. But this week, investigators finally revealed her identity.