Teams are being turned away from playing basketball because the growth in the sport has exceeded the space available to play games.
The predicament facing Tauranga City Basketball Association was put to city councillors by general manager Mark Rogers. There were more than 3500 players in Tauranga, with tournaments run by the association boosting the accommodation sector by 25,000 bed nights a year. An offer was received last week to hold a New Zealand Breakers pre-season game at the ASB Stadium in September.
"The facilities are world-class. People come in and are amazed by the quality of the facility, so thanks to the council," Mr Rogers said.
However, with a 17 per cent growth in players this year, he urged the council to plan for future indoor basketball facilities. His submission to the council's 2016-17 Annual Plan also urged the council to expand the number of outdoor basketball courts, particularly to service the increasingly popular three-on-three version of the traditional full-court five-on-five game.
"Three-on-three is becoming huge, the numbers are going through the roof," he said.