MICHELE TIMMS HELPS LAUNCH MOLTEN BALL RELAY IN BUILD UP TO FIBA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WORLD CUP

 As the countdown to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Australia is heating up, Michele Timms AM is helping to launch the Molten Ball Relay designed to connect junior basketball clubs across the country.

Molten, FIBA and the Local Organising Committee, have teamed up to provide junior players across the country the chance to see the official Women’s World Cup Ball as FIBA's flagship women's event returns to Australian shores for the first time since 1994.

The Molten Ball Relay will see the official Women’s World Cup Ball visit 20 local Clubs across Australia, with each Club being afforded the chance to get young female basketball players to share messages of support for the participating nations of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

Timms, a FIBA Hall of Fame member and former Australian Team player, has signed on to help promote the Molten Ball Relay and encourage Clubs and young females to support the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

“It’s been great to come back to Bulleen Basketball Club, my first Club, to officially launch the Molten Ball Relay as part of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup,” said Timms.

“I’m ecstatic to be an ambassador for the Molten Ball Relay, because it’s not only going to deliver an underflow of excitement in the lead up to the World Cup, but it’s also a great opportunity to bring together the basketball community all around Australia.

“These young players will get a chance to see the Molten ball that is going to be used during the World Cup - they’ll be able to associate that with the event and they’ll be able to send the players messages of support, so it’s a really exciting time.

“There is such a buzz at the moment about the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup coming to Australia, and the sparkle these junior players have in their eyes when they talk about the World Cup and say ‘that’s what I want to be, I want to play for Australia one day’. It’s absolutely fantastic,” she said.

Molten Brand Marketing Lead, Noa Hasegawa, said: “The Molten Ball Relay is designed to connect communities across the country in the lead up to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

“We want as many young people to feel part of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and through the Molten Ball Relay they’ll have the opportunity to share their good luck messages with participating nations, see first hand the limited edition 2022 World Cup Molten Ball and much more.

“Michele Timms AM is one of the legends of women’s basketball globally and working with her we hope to be able to leave a legacy during and post the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.”

FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Local Organising Committee Chief Executive, Melissa King, said: “Molten’s activities, through their Ball Relay and Female Local Champions program, provide the Australian basketball community with another unique opportunity to interact with the Women’s World Cup being hosted in Sydney in September this year. These activities help to leave a lasting impression on the next generation of players and administrators.”

In addition to the Molten Ball Relay, a Female Local Champions program, where female coaches, referees and administrators from across the country who are championing female participation, will be encouraged to nominate and showcase their efforts in the community. Three lucky Champions will be flown to Sydney for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup to meet Michele Timms and learn from leading coaches and administrators.