BFPNG

In addition, Paradise Beverages have also secured the naming sponsorship of the PNG national men’s and women’s basketball teams that will compete in the international tournament this September.

Paradise Beverages CEO, Michael Shields, presented a cheque valued at K270,000 to BFPNG President, Nick Daroa, at a press conference today at the Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre.

Under the partnership, Paradise Beverages will be specifically promoting their ‘PEPSI PNG’ products.

Daroa praised Paradise Beverages for their contribution to basketball.

The international sporting showcase will feature national representative sides from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Caledonia and Solomon Islands, with games taking place over four days at the Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre.

There’s a lot at stake with the top three finishing sides in both men’s and women’s divisions, earning qualification for the 2019 Pacific Games.

CEO of the BFPNG, Joel Khalu, said BFPNG is working in partnership with EMTV to secure sponsorship for the event, and added there are some fantastic options available.

The 23-player women’s squad and 25-player men’s squad were named on Saturday night after the grand final of the BFPNG National Championships. Both squads include athletes based in-country and overseas.

The women’s squad is headlined by 2015 Pacific Games standouts Betty Angula, Marca Muri and Mary Elavo Jnr, while 2016 PNG under 18 national team captain Normalisa Dobunaba also received a call-up to the senior level.

BFPNG identified its contingent of referees and score bench officials prior to the tournament, with twenty five members being selected from throughout the country.

Before games commenced on Tuesday, the group undertook a three-hour, pre-tournament workshop on Monday. The education session was delivered under the guidance of FIBA Oceania Development

Manager Annie La Fleur, who  travelled to Port Moresby from the Gold Coast for the championships.

“Making sure we develop referees and officials is very important to FIBA Oceania,” La Fleur said.

Joel Khalu will again take the reins of the men’s side, while PNG basketball legend Moi Muri, has been named as head coach of the women’s team.

After leading the men to a fourth-place finish at the 2015 Pacific Games, Khalu has retained his position as mentor of the men’s senior representative program.

The 36-year-old first coached the PNG men’s national team at the 2013 FIBA Pacific Championships in New Zealand, where the team finished seventh.

At each gathering, young people aged five to fifteen had the chance to play full-court games of 5X5 basketball from 5pm to 7pm.

Once the 5X5 games concluded at 7pm, the courts then shifted to a half-court set-up, for 3X3 competition matches for players aged sixteen and older, which ran until 9pm.

Hoops for Health (H4H) coaches, which include members of the national men’s and women’s basketball teams, stepped in as mentors, helping give tips on how to better play the sport.

The BFPNG National Championships will provide competing players with the opportunity for selection to the BFPNG national representative squads for the 2017 FIBA Melanesia Basketball Cup, which is being hosted by Papua New Guinea this coming September.

BFPNG Chief Executive Officer, Joel Khalu is confident that the six-day event will showcase the countries elite basketballers.

“We’ve had strong interest from affiliated associations based all over PNG.

This comes after signing a partnership agreement with FIBA (The International Basketball Federation).

This partnership was announced by Executive Director of FIBA Oceania, David Crocker, at the unveiling of the official tournament logo and the launching held recently in Port Moresby.

The tournament will be held from 27 – 30 September 2017, with 16 matches total, and has confirmed participation by men’s and women’s teams from New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Representatives from BFPNG and PNG Sports Foundation-Venue Management (PNGSFVM) signed the paperwork on Tuesday this week.

Through the arrangement, BFPNG will continue to utilise the courts and function rooms at the complex, while TAIC will be the official venue for the Federation’s senior national championships set for July and the FIBA Melanesia Basketball Cup later in September of this year.

BFPNG Chief Executive Officer Joel Khalu said the Federation was thankful to PNGSFVM for partnering with them.

Following on from the program’s huge success late last year, the second instalment of Twilight Basketball will once again see the Hoops for Health (H4H) initiative being delivered.

More than 2,000 people participated throughout the program’s six-week operation in 2016, with some Friday night’s drawing crowds of more than 400.

The free program is open to all ages, with 5V5 games for children aged 15 & under taking place from 5pm to 7pm and 3X3 matches for those aged 16 & over happening from 7pm to 9pm.