Bray making the most of her talent

DENIENNE Bray is an upcoming star in Papua New Guinea basketball.
Rising through the ranks in the youth national teams, including a 2016 stint as vice-captain of the PNG squad that took home bronze in division B of the Fiba Oceania Under-18 Championships, Bray has parlayed that to a 2019 Pacific Games selection for the senior’s team.
“There were a few years my life when my family went through a hard time and the only thing I could turn to was basketball, and in those two particular years, I made the training squads and national team,” she said.
“That drive I had pushed me, I told myself that if I couldn’t go to school, I might as well train very hard and wear our flag colours with pride.
“And it was all worth it.”
The 21-year-old was part of the rotation in last year’s quadrennial event in Samoa and is already thinking about the next edition of the Pacific Games.
“As a player, I’m hoping to improve my game and prepare myself physically and mentally for the next Pacific Games,” she said.
“My basketball dream is for the men’s and women’s teams to win Gold at the next Pacific Games to qualify for the Fiba Asia Cup.”
Aside from her national team duties and aspirations, Bray is also an avid supporter of the Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea’s (BFPNG) Basketball for Good initiative.
“I first got involved with the initiative in 2016 when some of the national team players and I would run Mum’s a Hero programmes, basketball clinics at schools and run three-on-three games on the weekends,” she said.
Bray said her passion for Basketball for Good was a product of her experience in running the programmes and the effect BFPNG programmes had on youths.
“I continue to help BFPNG because I want to give back to the sport that I am most proud of,” she said.
“It has taken me to places I’ve never been before, meet new people, and influence children who are amazed to see dribbling skills and dunking.
“Also the awareness on healthy lifestyle choices when we host Mum’s a Hero programmes are eye-opening for some of the participants and I am proud to be part of the movement.”
Bray’s basketball career looks bright but the Papua New Guinean is already looking forward to the future of the sport with the current crop of players’ commitment to the code.

“ There were a few years my life when my family went through a hard time and the only thing I could turn to was basketball, and in those two particular years, I made the training squads and national team.”

“I’m hoping to get more girls to play because it’s just as fun as all the other sports,” she said.
“I’d say it’s the best sport in the world.
“When we host Basketball for Good programmes, our national team players get to stay and interact with mums to play friendly games with them and it motivates them to be active.”
Meanwhile, Bray’s younger sister Gaby is also one of BFPNG’s young leaders who attended an International Basketball Federation camp.
Her younger brother William is also in BFPNG’s development pathway, having represented the country in the U15s (2018) and U17s (last year). – Fiba