Matches raise funds after organiser's transplant

An international basketball tournament is raising funds for kidney disease research, 16 years after its founder received an organ donation.

Eric Douglin underwent a transplant operation in 2010 with a kidney his wife Mandi donated, following a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.

He first organised the World Club Basketball Tournament in 2015 to raise funds for charity, with the 2026 event taking place on Saturday and Sunday in Canterbury.

"We just wanted to give something back and raise awareness for all the kidney charities and the need for organ donors around the world," Douglin said.

"I thought I'd link the two things that I enjoy together - basketball and raising awareness - and put them into one tournament."

Prior to his diagnosis, Douglin noticed he was "getting a bit tired and a bit lethargic".

He was then told he would need a new kidney.

"There a lot of people out there who aren't as fortunate as me to have a donor on hand," he said.

"I feel it's incumbent on myself and Mandi to share our story so other people are aware of the process."

Douglin - who got started organising basketball when he set up a team in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex in 1991 for his children - said the transplant had given him "a new lease of life".

"I'm energetic, I'm fit, I'm healthy, and since Mandi donated the kidney to me we've had nine grandchildren," he told the BBC.

"Doing the tournament is a way of showing that there is life after a transplant."

The grandfather said he wanted to see more people talking about organ donation.

"It is a very, very hard decision to offer to donate because it's not only the donor who's sharing, it's their family as well," he said.

"But I would like to see more discussion about it."

Eight teams will take part in the 2026 tournament, including four from the United States, at Canterbury Christ Church University Sports Centre.

Visiting team New York Court Kings will also host a free youth coaching session for children on Sunday at 09:45 BST.

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