Jo Leedham has revealed her anger after an appeal against the withdrawal of funding for British Basketball by UK Sport was rejected.
The Ellesmere Port basketball star, who represented Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics, believes the removal of £7m worth of funding by UK Sport will ‘massively damage’ the developing game in this country.
The decision to remove the funding, due to UK Sport’s belief that neither the men’s or women’s Team GB sides are gold medal prospects at Rio 2016, was announced last month but was appealed against by British Basketball chiefs.
With the appeal now rejected, Leedham, 26, a former Ellesmere Port Catholic High School pupil, is worried that the progress made in the UK basketball scene in recent years will now be undone.
“It is really sad and frustrating news,” said Leedham, who currently plies her trade professionally with French side CJM Bourges Basket, having played her college basketball in America at Franklin Pierce University, New Hampshire.
“Having funding for basketball enables us to have the best resources possible in order to progress and develop.
“The money affords us access to top-level coaches, training facilities and things such as sports scientists and nutritionists who can evaluate performance and help us to improve.
“Without this funding I really don’t know where the sport can go and how it is going to be able to improve. The level of coaching available is really going to be an issue.
“As a sport we have made huge strides in recent years. I think that some people who maybe don’t know too much about the sport don’t really realise just how far we have come in such a short space of time.
Leedham captained Team GB at London 2012 where, despite high-scoring for the host nation, was unable to lead her side to a medal finish.
With the British basketball international set up only nine years old, Leedham believes that more time should have been afforded to the sport.
“What everybody needs to remember is that the GB set up isn’t 20 years old,” she said.
“It is still in its early stages and for it to not have the chance to continue growing is really sad.”
Chester-born Leedham, who has also played professional basketball in Australia with the Bulleen Boomers, is currently out of competitive action having suffered a stress fracture at the beginning of the year.
With her recovery almost complete, Leedham is hopeful of being able to hit the ground running and keep her goal of an American WNBA career alive.
The former Ellesmere Port Panthers junior, whose two sisters Jennifer and Kirsty both coach basketball in the USA, had a rookie contract with WNBA outfit Connecticut Sun last year but just failed to make the final roster.
“It’s no fun being out injured and I really miss being around my team-mates and getting out there on the court,” she said.
“I’m almost back to full fitness now and I’m raring to go.
“When you’re injured, the toughest part is the mental side of things, not so much the physical.
“I’ve managed to stay focused and keep myself busy and in good shape.
“The aim is, and always has been, to get a spot on a team in the WNBA. But in order to do that I know I need to be on top of my game.
“To play in the WNBA is the one thing that I have wanted to achieve but haven’t yet been able to do.”
