Galway Titans return to Irish Basketball's National League action for the 2023-2024 season, and open their division one campaign on Saturday at the Knocknacarra Community Centre (5pm ).
Their opponents are Limerick Sport Eagles, one of six opponents in the division's southern conference who they will face twice, in addition to playing seven opponents from the Northern Conference once.
The Galway club replaces Fr Mathews in the first division after the Cork side decided not to enter a team, but Titans also boast a strong history in the National League, winning the National (President's ) Cup title in 2014. And in the past six years, the city club has produced 24 international players at underage 16, 18 and 20 levels, with representation also on adult international wheelchair squads.
This season, with the support of the Bierhaus, Jameson Apartments, and Arco-Irish, the club has engaged two new professionals to add experience and professionalism to the squad, and Joe Coughlan returns from Sligo All Stars to lead them in their aspirations and to assist coaching at underage levels.
Having enjoyed recent success at national level in underage competitions, Titans are banking on building on this strong foundation, helped by returning players from the Super League and the possibility of others who will add more depth and strength to the squad.
Many players also coach in the club, which recently won the final of the U18 Michael Heffernan tournament, having beaten quality sides such as Eanna, Ballina, Neptune, UCD Marian and Tralee.
A community-based club catering for male and female players, its coaches and administrators are all volunteers and/or amateur players.
One of the Titans core values is to embrace difference and promote inclusivity through basketball. It has some 280 to 450 registered members who are involved in the game with boys and girls' teams from under 12s to Masters (over 40, 50 and 60 ).
Titans have won national titles, underage titles, and has been recognised for contributions to sports and the wider Galway community, both locally and nationally. In this latest return to National League competition, the club is looking for sponsorship from the Galway Community.
