| Sports |
PNG trio set for All Stars tourney
By SUSAN OREAPE
THREE PNG basketballers will be part of the Oceania contingent
when they depart next month to participate at the FIBA Oceania All Stars
tournament in Australia.
The trio – Betty Angula, Waka Nape and Shadrach Ghabiliha – will leave
for Australia on Feb 11 and the games start on the Feb 19.
The All Star teams will compete in the Australian U/20 national
championship.
The tournament will be held in Ballarat, Victoria.
“This is a highly prestigious tournament with teams from all the states
of Australia competing.
Basketball scouts from overseas and Australian NBL and WNBL clubs will
be in attendance, so it is an opportunity for our island players to show
their athleticism and basketball skills,” Judy Smith from FIBA Oceania,
said via email.
The Oceania All Star team were selected at the Oceania youth tournament
in New Zealand last September.
The three will join representatives from Guam, American Samoa, New
Caledonia, Tahiti and Fiji on tour.
The coaches are from Fiji and Guam, while the selected referees are from
New Caledonia and Fiji.
The Oceania teams arrive in Melbourne on Feb 11 and will undertake an
intensive seven-day training camp under the direction of their island
coaches and mentor coaches FIBA Oceania’s Regan Kama and Eddie Calic.
During the training camp, they will play a number of games against
strong youth teams in Melbourne.
The All Star girls have New South Wales, South Australia and Western
Australia in their pool, boys-Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
The opening ceremony is on Feb 18 followed by feature games between home
town favourites Victoria up against the Oceania men.
Smith said it would be a very tough game, as the Victorians are
traditionally the strongest teams at the Australian championships.
 
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