BASC members in Budapest (© British Athletics Supporters Club)
British Athletics Supporters Club (BASC) has today been announced as the Official Supporters Club of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24.
Taking place from 1-3 March, the World Athletics Indoor Championships will attract more than 700 athletes to compete across three days of intense competition. The event also takes on extra significance as it falls within the qualification period for the 2024 Olympics, meaning athletes will be keen to perform as they prepare for this summer’s outdoor season and a chance to win gold in Paris.
With Glasgow hosting the 19th edition of the championships, this will be the first time the event has been held in Scotland and the third time it has been held in the UK, with a large contingent of passionate GB & NI fans expected to travel from around the country to support British athletes and cheer on the world’s best.
With fans also coming from around the globe, event organisers are delighted to be working with an established athletics supporters club in BASC to ensure all spectators feel welcome, when the World Indoors comes to Glasgow.
As the official body for athletics fans in the UK, BASC works closely with the governing bodies of the sport to represent the views of supporters, and this will be a key part of their involvement in the Championships as organisers liaise with BASC to ensure the fan experience is world class.
The organisation will also be hosting a stand in the concourse of the Emirates Arena, giving passionate athletics fans the chance to sign up and become a member of the world’s largest national athletics supporters club.
John Standerline, Chairman of the British Athletics Supporters Club (BASC) said “BASC is pleased to be supporting the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 as an Event Supplier.”
“Around 10% of the audience for these World Championships will already be BASC members and we hope that we can encourage more people to join.”
“In addition to providing services to members, BASC supports grass roots athletics with awards to athletes, sponsorship of prizes to young athletes at several events each year and bursaries for coaches.”
“Our members always support major events when they are held in the UK and we are looking forward to supporting British athletes in Glasgow”
Billy Garrett, Director of Tourism, Culture and Events at Glasgow Life and joint Chair of the Local Organising Committee said: “We are delighted to be working with the British Athletics Supporters Club to help boost the growth of fan participation.”
“With supporters at the heart of any major sporting event, it is important for us to promote the involvement of an official supporters’ club to increase the size of our ‘core’ athletics fanbase and leave a lasting legacy for future events, as we aim to capitalise on the visit of a world-class event to Scotland.”
“As we saw during the pandemic, events of this size are simply not the same without the atmosphere of a passionate and knowledgeable crowd, and this will be further lifted in Glasgow through the participation of supporters’ clubs like BASC, who will bring the noise as they cheer on the world’s best.
“With the event now fast approaching the starting blocks, we can’t wait to experience the roar of the Glasgow crowd this March in what is sure to be a Championships to remember.”
