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Canberra Today 27°/29° | Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Gavel / Fame and how to find it…

CANBERRA has a rich sporting history, but it remains hidden unless you head out to the University of Canberra, where the corridor of its sporting hub is lined with photos recognising the exploits of people who have paved the way for the current generation who will themselves, in time, adorn the walls.

Tim Gavel.
Tim Gavel.
The ACT Sporting Hall of Fame has struggled to find a home. It has gone from the former Hackett Primary School to Canberra Stadium and now the UC.

Over the years, there have been murmurings to build a permanent facility to showcase Canberra’s sporting history, but this idea has run out of steam many times, although some attempts to provide a stage for our sporting history had momentum.

There was a proposal at one stage to build a sporting museum in the Lyneham precinct; there was also the “walk of fame” in front of the Canberra Theatre.

Surely, the time has come for a permanent home for the Hall of Fame.

Perhaps the new indoor sporting stadium on the site of the Civic Olympic Pool is an option. At least it is central and the plan is to run the facility throughout the year and not just for sporting events.

And just on the building of a new aquatic facility, there is hope that construction on the Molonglo Pool will be underway next year. There is also the likelihood of the pool incorporating a new diving facility with Civic’s Olympic Pool having a limited life span.

 AS we have seen with reviews into sporting teams and organisations, they can come with a certain amount of pain, while at other times a review can be cathartic.

The review into the Canberra Capitals’ program has the potential to have both elements.

One aspect you’d hope would be addressed is the resourcing needed to put a competitive team on the floor.

The Capitals run a lean operation. That is okay while everything is going well, but when things are not going well it can become exacerbated.

There is no doubt about it, the side has been dogged by wretched bad luck with two stars pulling out before the start of the season, injuries to Lauren Jackson and Abby Bishop, and the list goes on.

The link with the UC has been positive in that players have access to further studies as part of their basketball careers. It’s hoped the club could build on that in the future.

One question that, no doubt, will be asked is: Can the university offer more in terms of resources to support the program?

There also needs to be an advantage in terms of a home court. The on-again, off-again move away from the AIS Arena simply adds to the instability.

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Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Tim Gavel

Tim Gavel

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