Port Moresby has caught basketball fever over the past six weeks.
The Taurama Aquatic and Indoor Centre has been seeing a lot more visitors, especially children every Friday nights since the start of the Twilight Basketball program in October.
This initiative has brought together many children, aged 15 and under, to participate in games of 5on5, while participants 16 and over test their skills in games of 3x3 basketball.
This free event has been a huge hit with more than 400 children in the city getting involved for the past month.
But sadly, last night saw the end of the six-week program.
With the mission statement: ‘To provide opportunities for children of all abilities to enjoy quality basketball experiences in a friendly and caring environment’, the program has taught children and teenagers on how to compete in school, in the workforce and other areas of life.
Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea President Joel Khalu, in last night’s closing advice, told the kids to understand how competition works in a friendly environment and that if you try your hardest, you have a better chance to succeed.
Khalu thanked the massive crowd of over 400 that turned up to participate in last night’s 2016 Hoops for Hope (H4H) Twilight Basketball finale and applauds the BFPNG crew for making the magic happen each week till the wrap up.
The program will relaunch during the Term 2 break in 2017, and will run for another six weeks.