IMAGE: Sheffield Sharks’ new arena
The Sheffield Sharks and the Sheffield Hatters’ brand new 2500 seater arena will see its first game of professional basketball on Sunday.
The Sharks entertain a Newcastle Eagles side who beat them 79-72 earlier on this season in the North East.
Mike Tuck, former Sharks captain and marketing manager said: “We’ve been lucky to have some amazing venues that we’ve played at over the years but they have never been ours. Now to have a place to put a stamp on basketball in Sheffield and somewhere to call home, we can really start building.
“This has been something I think that has been talked about for quite a long time going back to when I first joined the club in 2009 and earlier than that… Now to actually see it living and breathing and being here is really special.”
This year marks the thirtieth season the Sharks have competed in the British Basketball League. So far this season they have two wins and three losses and are currently sitting 7th in the league table.
Sheffield Sharks are the third team in the league to have their own permanent ground which is situated at the Olympic Legacy Park.
After the defeat against Bristol on Friday night, Mr Tuck is hopeful for a result in Sunday’s fixture: “It will be a big game, Newcastle have really levelled up this season. They have spent a lot of money, they have put together a really good squad. They are playing in a European competition so they are a formidable opponent but I think we have all the pieces to beat them.”
The Canon Medical arena has been planned for ten years and reportedly cost around 14 million pounds, funded by Canon Medical.
Mr Tuck is looking forward to opening the doors to match going supporters on Sunday: “Get down to the new tank. We are here, we are set up and we can’t wait to welcome our fans.”
The game will kick off at three o’clock and tickets are still available to buy from the Sheffield Sharks website.