WIMMERA police believe a friendly game of basketball between Horsham and Ballarat raised awareness for much bigger issues in the community.
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Horsham’s police and Koori basketball team took on a team from Ballarat as part of the Hoops Against Violence program.
Horsham Senior Constable and team coach Les Power said the program helped develop relationships in the community.
“It was a two-day event where we had people from Ballarat and Horsham all turn up and get to know each other,” he said.
“We had organisations like Victoria Police, Wimmera Uniting Care, Grampians Community Health mix with children and adults through basketball.”
Senior Constable Power said the basketball teams were made up of representatives from the Koori community and police.
“We had a few games of three-on-three before we played a serious game of basketball,” he said.
“For the fifth year in the row, we were beaten by Ballarat – those guys gave us a flogging.
“We thought we had a good team, but a few of the Ballarat boys play state basketball.
“It was all for a good cause though.”
Senior Constable Power said the program was something that had blossomed through Indigenous groups and was a way for people to show that they did not accept family violence.
“It’s about the police and the community working together to defeat a common curse,” he said.