Some of Australia’s best Indigenous basketballers have transitioned to the elite pathway through the support and funding of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).

Basketballers Patrick Mills and Nathan Jawai, who are currently making a huge impact on the world sporting stage, both received support from the ASC early on in their careers, through the Elite Indigenous Travel and Accommodation Assistance Program (EITAAP). EITAAP is run by the ASC’s Indigenous Sport Program, which assists talented Indigenous athletes to access the Australian Institute of Sport’s coaching and sport science expertise.

Jawai plays for the Toronto Raptors in the US National Basketball Association (NBA) league and Olympian Mills, who is currently a point guard for Saint Mary’s College of California, has just been selected in the second round of the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers. Both athletes are members of the Boomers, Australia’s national men’s basketball team.

Both Jawai and Mills were recipients of EITAAP grants, which are awarded by the Indigenous Sport Program in partnership with the Department of Health and Ageing, to Indigenous sportspeople over 12 years of age, to help them compete at state and national competitions. EITAAP grants are also available to support the travel and accommodation of Indigenous coaches, managers, trainers and officials.

Mills received an EITAAP grant in 2004 to compete in the School Sport Championships held in New Zealand, which led him to play at the 2007 under-19 FIBA world championships in Serbia. Likewise, Jawai received EITAAP funding to attend the 2005 Newcastle under-20 basketball championships. Both athletes later joined the Australian Institute of Sport as scholarship athletes.

Since 2000, more than 3500 Indigenous sportspeople have received EITAAP grants to pursue their sporting dreams. Mills and Jawai have proven to be inspiring role models for other Indigenous athletes to take this path, such as Curtly Caldwell, who will use an EITAPP grant to help cover the costs of competing in the under-15 state championships of the secondary school rugby league competition, held in Adelaide from 26 June to 4 July.

The Australian Sports Commission is committed to improving access and opportunities for Indigenous Australians to participate in organised sport and physical activity, and creating pathways for identifying and developing Indigenous talent.