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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.