FIBA Oceania has started the year strongly with a number of activities, events and programs underway.
In January, Samoa hosted their 2nd annual Mini Basketball Jamboree aimed at 10-14 year olds. The initiative – supported by FIBA’s Foundation following the SNBA’s participation in the Mini Basketball Seminars in 2021 – included presentations by the Red Cross, the Samoa health department and the Samoa Police department. These were aimed at providing young athletes with knowledge on basic first aid, the importance of healthy eating and exercise, and important safety messaging.
After months of COVID-enforced delays, Bula Hoops – Basketball Fiji’s youth development program – re-started on Monday 21 February at Vodafone Arena in Suva.
Bola – the Northern Marianas Basketball Federation’s mini basketball village outreach program – continues to grow as clinics have been taken out to the villages.
At a competition level, FIBA announced Guam as the host of the first official FIBA Micronesia Cup, due to take place in June. The FIBA Micronesia Cup will take the place as the official qualifying event for the 2023 Pacific Games for the Micronesian region. Guam will host men’s and women’s teams from Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Northern Marianas Islands and Palau.
Basketball PNG also announced their training squad for the FIBA Melanesia Cup, a squad filled with experienced players who will be eager to defend their FIBA Melanesian Cup crown from 2017.
At the FIBA Asia Cup level, the Australian Boomers and New Zealand Tall Blacks now know the path they must take to win the FIBA Asia Cup after the official draw ceremony held in February. The event – to take place from July 12 to 24in Indonesia – will see the best 16 teams in the region compete for the trophy.
Finally, preparations for the FIBA Women’s World Cup are well underway with the 12 teams who will compete in Sydney in September now set. The four FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournaments tipped off in Osaka, Washington DC, and Belgrade on February 10, with five days of on-court action and some incredibly close games to determine the final 10 positions to join hosts, Australia, and Olympic Gold Medallists, USA, in Sydney.
The following twelve countries will compete in Sydney, Australia at the Women’s Basketball World Cup:
Australia
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canada
China
France
Japan
Korea
Nigeria
Russia
Serbia
USA