By JARROD POTTER
BASKETBALL’S greatest honour will be awarded to long-serving Dandenong Basketball Association (DBA) president Charles Ryan – with the administrator and basketball advocate inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ryan – who passed away in 2011 following a two-year battle with lymphoma – will be inducted as a contributor to the Hall of Fame, earning his place alongside the greats of the game for his tireless work.
Ryan was a founding member of the National Wheelchair Basketball League. The best wheelchair athletes in the country win the Charles Ryan Memorial Trophy in honour of his contributions to the sport.
Throughout his tenure as DBA president, Ryan made women’s basketball a priority at Dandenong and helped push his beloved Rangers into the powerhouse they are today.
“You can’t walk around the Dandenong Stadium or talk to anyone involved with the DBA without getting an understanding of the leadership qualities Charles Ryan possessed,” DBA CEO David Graham said.
“He was instrumental in the success the Dandenong Stadium now enjoys and also in the development of many players, coaches and administrators at the DBA.”
Basketball Australia’s recognition of this via Charles’s Hall of Fame induction is a great testament to the man.”
Current DBA president Lou Godfrey said Ryan’s passion helped guide a number of players on the path towards national representation – a credit to his ability to focus and train the next generation of basketball champions.
“Charles Ryan left a great legacy to basketball in Australia during his life,” Godfrey said.
“No one was more dedicated to working with young players teaching them the skills of the game.
“Many went on to play for the Boomers and the Opals – he was a tenacious coach who always insisted on players doing what was right for the team.
“Charles never played favourites and helped many players achieve their dreams.”
The Class of 2013 Australian Basketball Hall of Fame induction will be held on Thursday 21 November.
