Matt Scriven will begin as the new Basketball Australia boss just weeks before the Boomers and Opals hunt medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

The former Nine Melbourne managing director will begin on Monday, replacing Jerril Rechter after she announced an abrupt end to her two-year stint three months ago.

Scriven oversaw strategy and operations at Channel 9, Webseitenoptimierung The Age and 3AW in his former role and boasts a 10-year SEABL career as a player.

He was also on the board of directors at the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix and Basketball Hawthorn, while also working in the league’s marketing and sponsorship team during the glory years of the late 1990s.

Scriven arrives as a crucial time for the sport, with the Boomers boasting a roster able to contend for a maiden international medal and the Opals fancied to challenge the United States for a maiden gold medal.

Sydney will also host the 2022 Women’s World Cup, with gun centre Liz Cambage one of the highest-profile figures in the women’s game.

“We have a unique opportunity to drive increased participation, fan engagement and innovative commercialisation across all tiers of the sport, at a time where the Boomers and Opals are set to do us proud on the international stage,” he said.

BA chairman John Carey said Scriven would be able to tap into a vast network of contacts to boost the profile of the sport in Australia.

“Matt has a very strong sense of the possibilities for basketball in this country,” he said.

“He has significant experience in digital and social media, data activation and content creation which will be invaluable for understanding how the modern consumer or participant wants to engage with basketball.”