Youth Basketball Club Confirms Decision to Quit W4
Chiswick Gators also run summer camps. Picture: Chiswick Gators
July 30, 2023
The Chiswick Gators basketball club has confirmed its plans to more away from the W4 area.
When activities restart this September, the sessions will be taking place at the Hammersmith Academy on Cathnor Road, just north of the Goldhawk Road from 6pm to 7:30pm every Wednesday during term time.
This session will replace the Tuesday session and is for children aged 6-15. Friday sessions will be taking place from 6pm to 8pm at the Gunnersbury Sports Hub.
The club says, “Hammersmith Academy promises to be a good location with brand-new sports facilities, better basketball hoops, and more space to play on. The venue has great parking and is easily accessible by public transport.”
This session will be coached by Richard Maye head coach & senior development officer. Joining the coaching staff will be national league head coach Lara Hassan, Kayode Piper with Friya Colaco, and Michael Kwentoh.
The new venue is just a 9 minute drive (in clear traffic) from previous venue at the Chiswick Sports Hall on Staveley Road.
The Chiswick Gators had suggested earlier this year that it had concerns about the facilities at the school. It was claimed that poor maintenance which had led to persistent leaks had made the facilities potential dangerous for club members. There were also complaints about staff at the centre turning up late to open up the hall and delaying sessions. A number of meetings were held at the school to discuss the situation with Head Teacher Laura Ellener saying she was doing all she could to support the club.
In addition, parents were consistently receiving PCNs when dropping off and picking up from the club when they were unaware of the access restriction on Staveley Road that applied until 7pm if you entered from the A316. A proposal to open up Burlington Lane to allow access from the A316, which would have given an alternative route to the school, was recently dropped by Hounslow Council. It has been suggested that some members have quit the club because it was becoming impractical to get there particularly on Friday evenings.
Although parents seem supportive of the move, some have expressed sadness at moving away from the venue as it hosts a plaque to Ali Abucar Ali, the popular former player and volunteer coach who was stabbed to death shortly after leaving a Friday training session in 2021.
Michael Kwentoh, founder of the club, said, "Chiswick School has been the home of Chiswick Gators since we started out in 2016 with a wonderful group of Chiswick School students, and the school will always have a special place in our hearts. I started coaching basketball at Chiswick school back in 2011 just before the London 2012 Olympics games. However, with the club’s promotion to Basketball England’s Premier division this year (competing now as West London Gators), the time was right to move to new facilities with competition-standard basketball courts. We hope to welcome young people from Chiswick School - and from across West London - to train with us and to enjoy the fantastic game of basketball at our new venues- Hammersmith Academy and Gunnersbury Sports Hub.
"We would like to express our sincere thanks to Chiswick School and to head teacher Laura Ellener for all the support we’ve had through our years training in Chiswick School Sports Hall.
"We do one day hope to return to Chiswick School as it’s home to the club. It’s the place Ali Abucar Ali and myself Mike Kwentoh first founded the Chiswick Gators club. So it holds a special place in all of our hearts."
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