Bob Staunton

Sort Order HTML <h2><strong>ROBERT STAUNTON</strong><strong>OAM</strong></h2>

Sort Order HTML <h2><strong>AUSTRALIAN MEN’S TEAM MANAGER 1976 AND 1980 OLYMPIC GAMES</strong></h2>

Sort Order HTML <p>Robert (“Bob”) Staunton was born in 1936 in Sydney Australia. He first got involved in basketball in 1945 through the YMCA where he was a very good basketball player and an outstanding table-tennis player.He first played for the YMCA Division One Team </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>in1954. A NSW Under 21 representative player (1954) Staunton played basketball until mid 1987. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob coached YMCA Club teams from 1957 to 1977.He became the Head Basketball Coach of the YMCA Club in 1964. He was also a talented basketball referee and from 19589 to 1964 refereed at seven Australian Championships.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>However, it was an administrator that Bob was to become renowned in Australia and overseas. He was President of the Sydney YMCA Basketball Clubfrom 1955 to 1978, foundation President of North Sydney Association, President of the City of Sydney Association from 1974 to 1977 and President of the Sydney Basketball Council from 1970 to 1972.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob’s was appointed Secretary of the NSW Basketball Standing Committee-Juniors in 1958. This was his first NSW appointment. He held this position until 1977. He was National Junior Men’s Secretary from 1966 until 1977. He also served as a NSW Selector from 1959 to 1977. He was an Australian Junior Selector in 1976. Bob was also a delegate for NSW Basketball to the NSW and Australian Olympic Councils. He was Head of Delegation for the 1979 Junior Men’s Team tour of the Philippines, the 1979 Junior World Championships in Brazil and the 1983 Women’s World Championships in Brazil in 1983.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob Staunton was appointed Manager of the Australian Men’s Team in 1971 for the Oceania Championships in New Zealand. He was re-appointed in 1975 for the Oceania Championships and he managed the team on an 8 match tour of the USA.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>In 1976 Bob was the manager for the Australian Men’s Olympic Basketball Team for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. The Australian Team acquitted itself very well and secured 8th position, the best result to that stage in Olympic Games.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob was the Australian Team manager for the 1978 Oceania Championships and World Championships in the Philippines where the team finished in 7th position.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>In 1979 he managed the National Men’s Team in the Oceania Championships and in 1980 in the Moscow Olympic Games.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>It was in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games that the Australian public became aware of Bob Staunton. He and the Coach Lindsay Gaze were often quoted in newspapers and the media and no more so than after the controversial match between Italy and Cuba where there seemed to be a “contrived” result. The only result of the match between Cuba and Italy that could deny Australia a position in the Quarter Finals was an Italian victory by exactly seven points. Near the end of the match neither side wanted to score when Italy led by seven points as any other result would put one of the teams out of the Quarter Finals. Italy won by seven points. Bob Staunton said after the game, “Four years of work have gone into this...I just can’t believe it...none of us can.” The Australians battled on and finished in seventh place a highly commendable result under the circumstances.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob did not act as manager of any Australian Teams after the Moscow Olympic Games.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>However Bob’s international and domestic careers were still gathering momentum. Bob was the Convenor for the Oceania Junior Commission (1975-1980), served on the FIBA Technical Committee in 1979, 1982 and 1983, the FIBA Technical Commission 1975 to 1980, the FIBA Junior Commission 1975-1980, was the Honorary Secretary of the Australian Basketball Federation 1977 and 1978, and became the first fulltime employee of the Australian Basketball Federation in 1978. Bob was the Executive Director of the ABF until his death in 1990.During his tenure with the ABF Staunton played a big part in helping to establish the Australian Junior Championships, the National Youth Teams and the Australian Institute of Sport Basketball Program.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Through the nineteen eighties Bob guided much of the activities of the Australian Basketball Federation. He was also directly involved in fostering the new National Basketball League (NBL) and the Women’s Basketball League (WNBL) and was a big supporter of both programs. He fostered Australian Basketball’s relationships and partnerships with the newly established Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Bob was very “hands on” as an administrator and was a driving force in bringing to fruition the magnificent tours to Australia by the USSR teams in 1987 and 1988. These tours ignited basketballs public profile in Australia and in the media. Staunton was a very big part in the early days of the so called “Golden Era of Basketball”.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob Staunton passed away on July 4th, 1990 at the age of 54.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Basketball Australia presented a perpetual trophy named the Bob Staunton Trophy for the Junior Men’s World Champions to FIBA in recognition of Bob’s work in Australia and for FIBA. He was instrumental in the establishment of Junior World Championships. Basketball Australia also established the annual Bob Staunton Scholarship for an athlete at the AIS basketball program and struck two medallions for the outstanding male and female players at the annual National Under 20 Championships.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob Staunton is a Life Member of the City of Sydney Basketball Association, the Sydney Basketball Council, the Sydney YMCA, Basketball NSW and Basketball Australia.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>He was awarded an Order of Australia in 1987 for services to basketball and was inducted into the Basketball NSW Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in 2006.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Basketball Australia, in our efforts to have Bob’s outstanding contribution to the development of our sport remembered, has presented FIBA with the perpetual Bob Staunton Trophy for the World Junior Men’s Champions. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>BA also extends the Bob Staunton Scholarship annually to an AIS basketball player and in addition BA has struck two medallions for the most outstanding male and female player at the annual National Under 20 Championships. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob was a great basketball lover and diligent and hard working sports administrator who had amazing passion for the game.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob Staunton is a Life Member of the City of Sydney Basketball Association, the Sydney Basketball Council, the Sydney YMCA, Basketball NSW and Basketball Australia.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob Staunton was awarded an Order of Australia in 1987 for services to basketball and was inducted into the Basketball NSW Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in 2006.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>NSW Junior Secretary - 1958-1977</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Refereed Australian Junior Championships - 1959-1964</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Member of Australian Basketball Union’s Secretary in the 1960s</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>National Junior Men’s Secretary - 1966-1977</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Junior Men’s Selector</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Delegate to NSW Olympic Council and Australian Olympic Council</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>National Men’s Team Manager - 1971-1980</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Convenor, Oceania Junior Commission - 1975-1980</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Served as a FIBA Technical Committee member - 1979, 1982 and 1983</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Managed National Men’s Teams to Montreal and Moscow Olympics</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Member of the Head Office Administration - Los Angeles Olympics</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>FIBA Technical Commission - 1975-1980</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Australian Representative to FIBA - 1976</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Member FIBA Junior Commission - 1975-1980</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Honorary Secretary Australian Basketball Federation - 1977-1978</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>First full time employee of ABF as Executive Director - 1978</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of Basketball Australia</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of Basketball NSW</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of Sydney Basketball Council</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of City of Sydney YMCA</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Order of AustraliaMedal for Services to Basketball– 1987</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob Staunton</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob Staunton is well known throughout Australia for the tremendous work he did for junior basketball in this country in all areas of the sport including coaching and administration. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>He represented NSW as a player and was involved in the first-ever televised basketball game in Australia. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>He was the Manager of the Australian Senior Men’s Team from 1975 to 1980 and served for many years as the head of the Australian Basketball Federation. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>During his tenure Staunton played a big part in helping to establish the Australian Junior Championships, the National Youth Teams and the Australian Institute of Sport basketball program. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Basketball Australia, in our efforts to have Bob’s outstanding contribution to the development of our sport remembered, has presented FIBA with the perpetual Bob Staunton Trophy for the World Junior Men’s Champions. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>BA also extends the Bob Staunton Scholarship annually to an AIS basketball player and in addition BA has struck two medallions for the most outstanding male and female player at the annual National Under 20 Championships. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Bob was a great basketball lover and diligent and hard working sports administrator who had amazing passion for the game.</p>