Fear of violence from African gangs behind the cancellation of Melbourne basketball games

Update

November 28, 2018 16:19:57

Organizers of a long South Sudanese basketball tournament in Melbourne, who said they were worried about African criminal gangs, forced them to cancel their annual summer protest.

South Sudan's South Australian National Basketball Association said it had struggled to find a venue for next month's Summer Slam because of "unrealistic barriers" imposed by stadium leaders.

"Stadium directors are afraid to organize our event because of the stories of African gangs that they see in the news," the badociation wrote in a Facebook post.

"Some of our partner organizations have also expressed concerns about our event because of the fear created.

"The actions of a few teenagers in the community are unfairly used to stereotype the vast majority who do what is right."

The National Clbadic of the badociation was also canceled in July.

Basketball Victoria said that the "severity of the external restrictions" meant that the badociation could not meet the demands of the city councils, including informing the neighbors of the tournament, paying the buses to and from the event to all players, restrict the game to the day, organize a half-day. day in grand finale and limited number of spectators.

"These are barely required requirements for other Victorian basketball tournaments and rarely required in the entire sports community," said a Basketball Victoria spokesman.

The police were hit by rocks after partygoers ransacked a rental property rented by Werribee Airbnb, hired by teenage girls and linked to last year's Summer Slam.

"This event is about helping children"

Wyndham City Council said that a large number of fans were locked out at the Eagle Stadium, site of previous tournaments, due to the number of spectators in 2016 and 2017.

Council Director General Jenny McMahon said the tournament organizers have not officially registered to host this year's event at the stadium, after discussing the possibility of finding a bigger venue .

"The board understood that tournament organizers were looking for alternative venues, both between states and in Victoria, and understood that they had not been able to secure another venue," he said. she said.

"Since the beginning of the preliminary discussions in 2018, the Wyndham Council or the site operator has not officially committed to organizing the tournament in Wyndham."

Manningham City Council in East Melbourne said the YMCA had sought advice from the council and the police to hold the event at Mullum Mullum Stadium in Donvale.

It is unclear how many other tips have been contacted by the basketball badociation.

Earlier this year, then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the Sudanese gangs in Melbourne were "genuinely preoccupied" and that Interior Minister Peter Dutton had been in the news. newspapers claiming that people were afraid to go out to restaurants at night because of the gangs.

Manyang Berberi, of the badociation, told ABC Radio Melbourne that it was counter-productive not to organize the tournament.

"This event is about helping children," he said.

"It's a very important part of the solution. We want these kids to get involved with their local sport. This is how they will engage and that it will avoid them problems.

Topics:

community and society,

criminality,

multiculturalism,

community organizations,

werribee-3030

melbourne-3000

victim

First posted

November 28, 2018 15:42:21