Basketball court is at Obama’s disposal at G-8 summit venue

Basketball court ready for Obama at G-8

L’AQUILA, Italy — A summit held in a police barracks in a quake-stricken city may not provide Barack Obama with the luxury to which a U.S. president is accustomed. But at least he can shoot hoops to relax.

The Italian organizers of this year’s Group of Eight summit said Tuesday that they have readied a small basketball court with a single hoop for the U.S. president, a committed player and fan of the Chicago Bulls.

Like other world leaders, Obama will be housed in the police complex in a suburb of L’Aquila, the central Italian city that was hit by a devastating quake in April. Italy, which holds the G-8 presidency, decided to move the three-day summit that starts Wednesday from a high-class Sardinian resort to the Spartan police barracks in a show of solidarity with the quake victims.

Several buildings inside the complex have been refurbished to house the heads of government and state and their trimmed-down delegations. Most of the first spouses will be in Rome.