Kavieng participants undergo basketball initiative

A FIVE-DAY Hoops for Health (H4H) initiative attracted 300 participants who underwent technical workshops, officiating courses and basketball programmes in Kavieng, New Ireland, recently.
Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea executive officer Miskus Lapan said the sport was taught to kids as young as five and adults as old as 55.
“We had support from the Kavieng Amateur Basketball Association, Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation and a number of passionate basketballers there,” he said.
Aligning with Fiba’s strategic priority in empowering national federations, boosting grassroots basketball, H4H initiatives contribute significantly to the sport’s development in the country.
Teaching the skill of basketball is always a feature of H4H, with many participants learning basic skills like passing, dribbling, shooting hoops and completing lay-ups.
“I’m interested in becoming a basketball player one day,” 12-year-old participant Sharita Motonga said.
Nine-year-old Sonipoli Topu supported Motonga, saying: “I really want to be a basketball player and play for PNG.”
Local participants were encouraged by Pacific Games gold medallist powerlifter Linda Pulsan who shared her experiences.
“If I, this small-framed woman, can lift more than my own weight on the world stage and win gold, nothing is impossible, and you can do it too. When you put your mind, heart, focus, attention, commitment and discipline into something worthy in life, you will achieve it,” she said.
“Success comes at a cost, and that cost is sacrifice, but a worthy one.”
Lapan said the feedback from the Kavieng tour was positive with a demand for more programmes to provide awareness on issues where basketball could be used as a tool to relay key messages.
“If we can continue to integrate basketball and social development through our programmes, we will be doing a huge service to our community,” he said.
“During this tour, the local association had the opportunity to showcase their Under-17 talents for the upcoming nationals.
“They have also up-skilled their refereeing ranks through exhibition three-on-three matches.
“They’ve created basketball awareness and partnered the federation, Australian High Commissioner Jon Philp and provincial administrator Lamila Pawut.”