The article indicates each team looks after their own travel arrangements and overall spending of their budget.

For example, the Opals have had two European trips this international season whereas the Boomers have had just one.

Wow, real debate brewing online. Would be nice to know how much each team is budgeted for???

Yeah - it must be the bigger bodies.

It'd be cynical to suggest it was because most of the decision-makers were male, wouldn't it?

Think you might find alot of it has to do with Bigger Bodies...you try being 6'6 plus and fitting into premuim Economy!

Also you'll find alot of the Euro/NBA clubs don't want there prized players in premiuim economy for 24 hours! I know i'm not paying Inlges over a million euro a year to sit with his ankles around his ears for 24hours!

Paul, that is not the implication of the article, which is that the Business for men/economy for women has long been the case.

I asked one person I know and they said the Boomers have travelled business for years - likewise the opals have basically always travelled economy. Sounds like policy, not budget...

HO, that depends on who makes the decision I suppose. You seem to be assuming some central person makes the bookings for both teams - in my experience with national teams it is usually the team manager of each team.

The Opals certainly havent lacked for tours and camps in recent years as one way of conparing budgets.

If only a few of the Opals fly business class because of their height, which I think is the case, and the smaller players dont I would just say that is smart use of the budget that is allocated.

If a central person makes a decision and blanket books all Opals in one and all Boomers in the other that would be poor, but to me that seems unlikely.

I recall a recent tweet for the boomers saying the big boys were in Business and the others in economy?

have you ever thought that the boomers players may have paid the extra them self to travel business class. Considering most of them are on big money in europe, travelling via business would be normal for them

A lotta TV and radio over the ' rift '
Opals at a press conference .
Cambage .
Hockeyroos ; " we travelled economy and enjoyed it
slept mostoftheway. "

I can understand a sensible allocation of budget based on height (rather than gender).

If we start with premium economy as a base line - they are Olympic athletes flying for 24 hours to go to the Olympic games, so let's splash some cash - someone who is 6 feet tall (male or female) should get by fine in premium economy.

But if you put someone like Ingles in Business, I think you need to put Cambage/Jackson (anyone else of a similar height) in there, too, it only seems fair.

So the article in todays age puts to rest any thought that the Boomers paid their own way. Cambage paid for her upgrade to premium economy.

And BA have confirmed it is a policy decision.

http://www.theage.com.au/olympics/news-london-2012/female-stars-relegated-to-the-underclass-20120719-22d9x.html

Whatever you do, you should troll through the comments online at the Age after yesterday's article. Hilarious stuff.

I notice the article, by the same author as yesterday's, still doesnt say who is in charge of booking tickets for each team. For me that will swing which way I view the matter. Do the teams pay for their travel out of an overall budget or do they have a separate travel budget?

Out of interest, BA didnt comfirm it was a "policy decision" in the article linked as HO stated.

This press release has just come out from BA. Interesting the Derwin says the Opals have received more funding over the years. Perhaps Sam Lane can write an article about that gender inequality?!

Basketball Australia today released the following statement on the travel arrangements of our Olympians.

Acting Chief Executive Officer Scott Derwin said: "Travel arrangements fall under a longstanding policy put in place some time ago. It sits at an operational level, and the development of the policy is not something the board would have contributed to.

"The policy around budgets for each national team gives the leadership group of those teams some discretion over how their funds are spent - and that includes travel arrangements.

"We should bear in mind that in fact, historically, more funding has been directed towards the Opals.

"But the simple fact is when a policy results in gender inequality, it's very clearly not the right policy going forward.

"I am putting in place a review of our Olympic travel policy with the goal of ensuring there is equity between travel arrangements for the men's and women's teams attending future Olympics.

"Part of this review will include consultations with the Opals, the Boomers, and the Australian Olympic Committee."

Incoming Chief Executive Officer Kristina Keneally will start in the role on the 4th of August. Ms Keneally welcomed Mr Derwin's decision to hold a review.

"In this day and age, there's just no excuse for men's and women's sporting teams to be treated differently when they both compete at the same world class level," Ms Keneally said.

"In fact, in this circumstance, the disparity is even more glaring when you consider that our women's basketball team is one of the best in the world - enjoying the number 2 spot in international rankings."

Ms Keneally said the review would be completed within three months.

why not keep it simple......if you are,for eg.6ft 3in or over, regardless of gender,you need more bloody leg room.....simple

Funding is often based on results!!! If the Opals have recieved more funding (this certainly hasnt always been the case) then it is because they are are ranked much higher than the Boomers and medals = $$$! The Opals have been complaining to BA and Campaigning for equality when it comes to flying to International Tournaments, they just havent done it publicly! Considering the Olympics are only every 4 years and the so are the Worlds then surely they can afford for both teams to travel in the same class! All other tours dont require the same spend. Also many tours are paid for either all or in part by the country hosting the tournament. So dont assume that tours means spending! Do you think Greece paid to come out here??

I agree. My question before I shoot off about how bad it is, is who makes the decision and books the flights? If BA allocates a specific travel budget, or books the flights themselves, then it is terrible that it is grossly unequal.

If team management chooses to spend an overall budget in different ways then that isnt really BA's indiscretion. Whichever way it is, a better way of doing it should be found - neither BA nor team management should be asking taller players to travel in premium economy or pay out of pocket to upgrade (assuming that is true).

The way i read it is that the Opals have spent more money this year on travel already and so dont have the cash to pay for business class trips

Also, if QANTAS are the sponsor of the Olympic team why arent all athletes catered for in at least Business as part of the sponsorship deal?

Hopefully this isnt the only coverage the Boomers and Opals get as its nice to see a non-generic article about our basketball teams get a run in the papers, and its an interesting topic too!

All the athletes should be travelling in business class as the world will be focusing on them for the next two weeks, but its really nothing more than a storm in a tea cup. Besides, as mentioned, the Opals have recieved more funding than the Boomers over the years, so it evens out a bit there :)

Woke up this morning to Derwin on the radio.
It was a few years ago that I worked at ADL Airport.
A lotta flights are full . Business class booked out by full paying passengers . Ya cain't upgrade all/every athlete with an economy ticket. Ain't enough seats available.

Sorry Paul BA did not confirm in that article - you are correct. I took that from this, i assumed the age was old by BA:

"The Age has been told that the men's basketball team has a written agreement with Basketball Australia that members will be flown business class for any flight over three hours. It is understood the women have no such arrangement."

However Derwin has since confirmed it.

So we want Equality?Lets take away mens and women's and have Olympics open without gender. Men and Women are equal remember.


Will be great to see a 3 game series next year, Boomers vs Opals for Business class seats.

Dingo you are an absolute knob shiner mate

Which class will the Rollers travel in? After all, "in this day and age, there's just no excuse for" able and disabled "sporting teams to be treated differently when they both compete at the same world class level".

Good use of the funding for the Opals to choose to take economy on their trips . More money for other things , like more trips etc.
Remember that Jackson is an ambassador for Qantas and had a first class ticket , but sat with the team.
The airline offered Cambage an upgrade , but she say with the team.

go the splitters !!