Basketball New Zealand officials are hoping by keeping the Tauihi Final 4 playoffs in Nelson this weekend they can give a small boost to the region doing it tough after a spate of wild weather.
In a statement on Tuesday, Basketball NZ said Friday's semi-finals and the final on Saturday for the women's competition will still go ahead as planned at Trafalgar Centre despite a State of Emergency being extended in Nelson until next Wednesday.
Huw Beynon, the general manager of leagues for Basketball NZ and a Nelson local, said they consulted with a number of local agencies, as well as held discussions with the four teams involved in order to come to their decision.
The talks all boiled down to one point; making a positive impact to a community which has been severely affected by flooding in the last week.
"There’s no doubt that this community – which my family and I are a proud part of – has been through a lot, with people’s homes and livelihoods put at risk by the adverse weather," Beynon said.
The Government announcing the extra support as hundreds of residents continue cleaning up. (Source: 1News)
"After everything they’ve been through, this region deserves for the Final 4 event to be held here, and they deserve our heartfelt support and commitment – we want to bring some joy back to the city, some custom back to the businesses, and help Nelson get back on its feet.
"We’ll be undertaking fundraising initiatives while we’re on the ground in Nelson, as well as visits by our incredible Tauihi athletes to local schools, as we lead up to the Final Four. It’s really the least we can do to support and help lift up this community."
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Beynon said the Trafalgar Centre wasn't effected by the recent wild weather but they also discussed the importance of not putting a negative strain on the recovering community.
"The feedback we’ve received is that the Tauihi Final 4 is a positive opportunity for the region; the general feeling among businesses and local authorities here is one of excitement of our arrival later this week."
The Northern Kāhu will open the action when they take on Whai in the 1 v 4 playoff at 6pm on Friday before the Tokomanawa Queens play Mainland Pouākai in the other semi-final.
The final then takes place on Saturday at 6pm.
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