Officials have enforced the extreme heat policy for the remainder of the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup, after an increasing number of players have suffered dehydration.
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The policy means a mandatory timeout will be taken at the five minute mark of each quarter in the hope of giving players extra chances to cool down.
While both the Wodonga Sports and Leisure Centre and the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre are air-conditioned, the heat generated by so many players means it becomes quite humid inside the stadiums.
Sports trainers at the event said they have had to deal with more cases of dehydration than previous years because of the searing temperatures.
They encouraged all players to continue drinking fluids throughout the day.
The under 14 girls South Australian Sharks coach Morgan Tolley said the heat was having an impact.
“The heat has really drained everyone,” Tolley said.
“It’s a long week, but it’s the same for everybody.”
Tolley’s team appears to have been weathering the heat better than most.
The Sharks have won all five of their matches and will be full of confidence heading into the first round of the finals.
The South Australians made light work of the winless Victorian Bushrangers by defeating them 86-48 in the final pool game yesterday afternoon.
Tolley said the hard work and preparation the girls had put in before the tournament was paying off.
“They worked really hard leading up to this competition,” she said.
“We had a lot of selections and a lot of trials.
“We started the week really well, but with the weather it’s been quite tough, but so far so good.”
