Westminster students, colleagues and sports fans gathered in a celebratory mood to watch Westminster Men’s Basketball Team and Westminster Women’s Netball Team beat rivals in back-to-back matches at the University’s new sports facility The Den on Harrow Campus.
On 21 February, the Basketball Team came up against the University of East London and the Netball Team battled it out against UCL. Both matches were played with high intensity and saw both teams victorious with the men’s team winning 81-55 and the women’s team winning 55-21.
The basketball match marked Coach Clive’s 100th game and the team and fans celebrated the milestone with pizza and drinks.
Coach Clive became Head Coach for Westminster’s basketball programme in 2015 and led the Dragons to three BUCS University titles in his first five years of coaching for the University. Coach Clive joined the University of Westminster as a Multimedia Computing BSc student and played for the Dragons, where he was awarded Captain of the Year, and since he began coaching the awards have continued.
Clive has gone on to achieve two more degrees with the University of Westminster and won University of Westminster Staff Appreciation Award 2018, University of Westminster Best Digital Presence 2020-21 and the University of Westminster Sports Team of the Year 2017-18 and 2019-20.
He also dedicates a lot of his time to the Brent Bulls CIC, a basketball club he founded in 2020 that is available to participants of all ages and levels from the London Borough of Brent, giving them a sporting pathway and the opportunity to develop fitness, socialise and learn key skills. Through the team, players get the chance to play like a Westminster Dragon at The Den, Westminster’s new sports facility, giving those who may not see university as an option an insight on what it can offer.
The Den was opened earlier this year. The new space includes a new gym, facilities for court sports, including volleyball, basketball, netball and badminton, and a spectator area for up to 180 people. The sports hall is available to all students and colleagues to use and provides a space for Westminster Dragons sport teams to further grow and flourish.
Coach Clive said: “Coaching my 100th university game in The Den was an honour and a privilege. I have been both a student and a staff member at the University of Westminster, and throughout my time here, I have seen first-hand the impressive expansion of sports participation and educational courses we offer. It is also worth mentioning the incredible support that the Dragons community provides each of our teams week in week out.
“We wouldn't be here without the vision and drive of President and Vice-Chancellor Peter Bonfield and the collaboration and passion of the Westminster gym team and the Students' Union, all working together to harness the power of sport.
“The Den truly has a special energy. I felt it when students, lecturers, gym staff and fans were together; everyone became one. I'm sure this is one of many unforgettable memories that will be created in the Den.”
The sports and facilities available at the University of Westminster contribute toward the Good Health and Well-being (3) development goal of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were adopted by the University of Westminster to help make the University a more sustainable, responsible and inclusive place to live, work and study.
Find out more about sports available at the University of Westminster.
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