Ivor Burge
Program
Representing athletes with intellectual impairment
The Ivor Burge Championships are the National Basketball Championships for Players with an intellectual impairment. Since the Australian Basketball team for People with an intellectual impairment made their international debut at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona, the Australian Sports & Recreation Association for People with an Intellectual Disability (AUSRAPID), together with Basketball Australia, created the Ivor Burge Championship.
The Queensland Ivor Burge teams are designed to train recognised athletes within our community to represent Queensland in a high-performance environment.
Joining the competition
Basketball Queensland’s goal is to provide a pathway for athletes with intellectual impairment and give them the opportunity to represent their state at an elite level.
Eligibility
The Ivor Burge Championships is for athletes with an intellectual impairment as per the VIRTUS classification requirements.
Based on this definition, the Virtus Eligibility Criteria for athletes with an intellectual impairment is:
- Significant impairment in intellectual functioning which is defined as a Full-Scale IQ score of 75 or lower, and;
- Significant limitations in adaptive behaviour as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills.
Queensland athletes that are selected to compete at the Ivor Burge Championships must be 16 years old or above.
Learn more
The Ivor Burge Championships are hosted in February each year in a location selected by Basketball Australia. Join the QLD Ivor Burge community via Facebook for all announcements and updates.
Sponsor the
Ivor Burge Team
To send an athlete to the Ivor Burge National Championships, Basketball Queensland anticipates that it will cost $2,500 per player, noting that there will be ten players per men’s and women’s team. Many of our athletes are in receipt of NDIS funding or Centrelink benefits and likely lack the financial capacity to pay their way.
While Basketball Queensland is doing all that is possible to reduce this liability for the players, we would greatly appreciate the support from the wider Queensland community to help us send our best twenty athletes with intellectual impairments to the National Championships.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a National pathway for these athletes?
Do BQ have any other programs for athletes with intellectual disabilities?
How do you qualify for Ivor Burge?
Need a bit more information?
Want to learn more about the Ivor Burge Championships? Get in contact with our BQ High Performance Program Coordinator, Steph Collins via hpadmin@basketballqld.net.au.
