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The Illawarra Hawks have had their full name reinstated after a bizarre few months of geographic limbo after securing new members and sponsors.
Key points:
- The NBL agrees to reinstate the Illawarra name to the Hawks’ franchise
- The league stripped the name from the club last year after it was sold
- Hawks’ owner Dorry Kordahi says today’s development is a “proud day for the club”
The NBL removed the location from the team name last year, after the foundation club was bought by an international syndicate including former co-owner of the Sydney Kings Dorry Kordahi.
League commissioner Jeremy Loeliger at the time said the club needed to prove “there was sufficient support from the Illawarra community to make the club a viable proposition into the future in the local market”.
On the eve of its first home game, the club has meet the ambitious membership target set by the NBL.
“This is a proud day for our club, our corporate partners and our fans,” Mr Kordahi said.
“Today, our hard work has been vindicated and we can return the proud Illawarra name to this team and the wonderful community that supports it.”
Struggle to regain name
The NBL’s name change was announced at the same time as the club’s new ownership group, following another period of voluntary administration last year.
It was sold to the Illawarra faithful as a way to broaden the club’s supporter base beyond Wollongong and that there was a possibility home games could be played elsewhere.
But Canberra games looked unlikely after dabbling in the idea during the 2019/20 season, and there was no sign of taking games to Newcastle.
Mr Kordahi said the NBL had set the team the target of finding 4,378 new members for the return of the club’s full name.
The figure represented the club’s 43 consecutive years in the league, and its entry into the competition in 1979.
Name threat slammed as ‘blackmail’
At the time, Wollongong City Council Deputy Lord Mayor Tania Brown described the deal as “blackmail”.
“They need to drop that nonsense now.”
Fans were encouraged to purchase supporter memberships for $79, which did not include game tickets.
The club has played its first five games of the season without the region’s name on its jersey because its membership target had not been met.
In recent weeks fresh sponsorship announcements, including sponsors buying supporter memberships, saw the 4,379 goal reached.
NBL owner Larry Kestelman said community and sponsor support would make the club strong.
“We have the utmost faith in the new owners and the hard work they are doing to build a strong club,” Mr Larry Kestelman said.
“Today we are pleased to announce that we have agreed to their request after they met their membership target this season and attracted increased corporate support from the local community.”
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