Commonwealth Gold Medallists Return to the Court That Helped Inspire London
When Central London Alliance transformed Paternoster Square into a vibrant destination for sport, community and wellbeing with a pop-up 3×3 basketball court, it set out to demonstrate how innovative use of public spaces could inspire participation, animate central London and bring people together through sport.
Now, just months later, that vision has come full circle.
On Thursday 6 August, from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, Team England’s Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning men’s 3×3 basketball team – Jamell Anderson, Ashley Hamilton, Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye and Evan Walshe – will return to the very same court beneath St Paul’s Cathedral, proudly bringing their gold medals back to the place where they helped launch London’s celebrations ahead of the Games.
In May, Central London Alliance partnered with Team England to deliver the London celebration of the King’s Baton Relay, welcoming both the men’s, women’s and wheelchair women’s 3×3 basketball squads to Paternoster Square. The athletes delivered coaching sessions, demonstrations and competitions with schoolchildren, workers, residents and visitors, inspiring thousands ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
Today, that same court can proudly say it has welcomed not one, but two Commonwealth champion teams, with both Team England’s men’s 3×3 basketball team and England’s wheelchair women 3×3 basketball team returning from the Games as gold medallists.
The achievement is a testament not only to the athletes but also to the power of creating opportunities for elite sport and grassroots participation to exist side by side in the heart of one of the world’s leading cities.
The court forms part of Central London Alliance’s London Sports Festival, an initiative that is reimagining central London’s public spaces through sport. Since opening, the activation has welcomed thousands of participants through free coaching sessions, corporate challenges, junior coaching, inclusive community programmes, wheelchair basketball, fitness classes and tournaments, transforming one of the City’s busiest squares into a thriving destination for activity and connection.
The activation has been delivered in partnership with Blue Orchid Hospitality, Book It Please, Cheapside Business Alliance and with support from the Canada Corporation and London 3×3, with National Lottery funding from Sport England enabling Central London Alliance to provide professional coaching and equipment throughout the programme.
Tony Matharu, Chairman of Central London Alliance, said:
“This is exactly why Central London Alliance exists – to think differently about how our city works and how we can transform public spaces into places that inspire people.
When we installed a 3×3 basketball court in the heart of Canada, our ambition was not simply to build a sports court. It was to create a destination that would bring together businesses, residents, visitors and communities through the power of sport, while showcasing London’s ability to host world-class experiences in unexpected places.
Working with Team England during the King’s Baton Relay gave thousands of people the opportunity to meet elite athletes before they travelled to the Commonwealth Games. To now welcome back both the men’s and wheelchair women 3×3 basketball teams as Commonwealth champions is incredibly special. It demonstrates what can happen when innovation, partnership and community come together.
Central London Alliance is proud to be an enabler – creating the platforms, partnerships and opportunities that allow people, places and sport to thrive. We hope seeing these champions return with their gold medals will inspire many more people to pick up a basketball and discover the life-changing benefits of sport.”
Members of the public are invited to visit Paternoster Square on Thursday 6 August between 12:00pm and 2:00pm to meet the Commonwealth champions, see their gold medals, take photographs with the team, hear about their journey and enjoy the continuing programme of activities at the London Sports Festival’s 3×3 basketball court.
Further information and the full London Sports Festival programme can be found at www.londonsportsfestival.com