BFPNG awaiting squad lists

THE board of Papua New Guinea’s basketball governing body is awaiting a review of selections for the national men’s and women’s squads before it can make an endorsement.
Basketball Federation of PNG (BFPNG) president Karo Lelai said the squad lists were submitted to the board but they had asked the national selectors to review them according to the revised selection policy.
The lists were made after last month’s selection trials in Lae, Goroka and Port Moresby which attracted about 160 players.
Thirty-five players participated in the Lae trials, about 45 in Goroka and 80 in Port Moresby.
The selectors will re-submit the 25-man lists to the board to endorse before the squads begin preparations for the Fiba Melanesia Cup at Suva’s Vodafone Arena in Fiji in April.
The Melanesia Cup is the qualifier to the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, with the latter serving as the qualifier to the Fiba Asia Cup pre-qualifiers.
The top-two teams from the Fiji tournament will secure automatic qualification for the 2023 Pacific Games.
PNG are the Melanesia Cup reigning champions, having won the 2017 edition as hosts.
The national teams will be looking to retain the titles and secure qualification for the 2023 Pacific Games.