Lae basketball tournament was one of the best: Yawari

PATRON Johnny Yawari hailed this year’s National Souths Basketball League (NSBL) Championships as one of the best after four days of solid competition.
He made the remarks while congratulating the tournament organisers for staging a successful tournament that finished on high note on Monday.
Yawari hailed Original Souths (women) and Giru Epari Kuare Souths (men) winning their finals.
“As the news gets out, Papua New Guinea will know that this tournament in Lae was completed successfully and was one of the best NSBL Championships,” he said.
“Why I say this is one of the best tournaments is because you see families coming to watch the matches.
“Basketball is for everyone.”
Yawari said Southern Highlands had given so much money to sponsor rugby league and soccer but left behind basketball never knowing that sport was the first game that held the province together during the days of his late father.
“I grew up watching some of the greats from Southern Highlands playing basketball and I want to promote the sport.
“I want to promote basketball in the province.
“It’s not all about the prize money that you get but how best you’ll promote the sport to the next level. That is where I come in.
“Every year, when there’s the club championships, teams come play, go back home and no more games are played.
“That is why we have to create a platform for Souths by creating an avenue so this thing is yearly.”
Yawari said NSBL had plans to field a team in the Papua New Guinea Men’s Basketball League (PMBL), the country’s premier competition of the sport.
“We will field a team in the PMBL next year and some of you that played here we have selectors who will come up with your names to call you in for training.
“So that is why it is not all about money.
“When you come here, it is not about money. When you come here and play, we will promote you.
“We will take the game to the next level.
“Old players are gone. We will promote the young ones taking up the sport. We will take you to the next level.”