A new basketball club has been formed for the kids of the Douglas region to participate in a new $5.5 million Indoor stadium in Port Douglas.

Douglas Heat Basketball Club was formed last month with the intention to create a primary school-aged competition at the new Port Douglas cyclone evacuation shelter.

Built in 2012 and jointly funded by the Queensland Government and the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi following cyclone Yasi, the shelter also houses air-conditioned basketball facilities, change rooms, a full commercial kitchen and meeting rooms.

Douglas Heat president, Nick Gibson, said the club, which will run as a satellite club of Mulgrave Basketball Association would also be affiliated with Basketball Queensland, allowing us access to elite programs.

“Coach Steve Hull and I thought there was a great opportunity to get kids from the whole Douglas region involved in basketball locally.”

So the Douglas Heat committee was formed last month, with the full support of the Mulgrave Basketball Association, Port Douglas State School and its P&C Committee.

Mr Gibson said there would be quite a few weeks of training sessions and fun before a competition started, so boys and girls of all capabilities could learn the rules and improve their skills.

“In the future, we may also look at developing a competition for high school aged kids, possibly in the wet season when NBL fixtures are being played,” he said.

“And we intend for this club to be a stepping stone for talented basketballers to go ahead into Cairns-based rep squads and beyond – just like Aron Baynes did, starting from Mareeba, going into the Cairns system, becoming a Boomer and eventually ending up in the NBA.”

Initial ‘show of interest’ sessions for Douglas Heat Basketball Club are on Wednesdays 13th and 20th of March at the Port Douglas cyclone shelter/Indoor stadium, Port Douglas State School, Endeavour Street, from 3.30pm.