Parapa confident of retaining All Stars title

The National Sports

CAPTAIN Charles Parapa is confident that his PNG Men’s Basketball League 1 side will defend the All Stars title they won in 2013.
Parapa, who plays for Kutubu Security Services-sponsored Southern Flames in the PMBL competition, said the competition at the national championships had been good with teams like Kavieng and Lae putting strong performances to make the playoffs interesting.
But he was confident his side would be able to make the final and claim their second national title.
The PMBL have three teams taking part in the championships and all have shown a level of skill and play a notch above the visiting teams.
PMBL 1 have so far won all their games and are looking forward to taking on Tubusereia 2 in the opening match today.
They started the competition on Tuesday beating PMBL (3) 96-67 and yesterday they thrashed Alotau 154-55 and are expected to be too much for Tubusereia.
Parapa said the PMBL had the advantages of being a high-caliber competition and with most of the national squad members derived from the Port Moresby he predicted an all-PMBL final.
Parapa said his side’s focus was to top pool A and wait to face the runners-up of pool B which be either Kavieng or PMBL 2.
The semifinals are set for tomorrow with the pool fixtures to be completed today.
Parapa said the other big motivating factor for his PMBL (1) side was earning spots on the national squad for September’s Melanesian Cup in Port Moresby.
The FIBA Oceania-sanctioned tournament would see hosts PNG, Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu compete for the mantle of best Melanesian basketball nation.
In the other results, Kavieng led by the Wright brothers, Liam and Lloyd, are taking the Taurama Aquatic Centre and Indoor Centre by storm.
On day one, Kavieng belted Tubuseria (1) 111-50, and yesterday they hammered Central 112-64.
Day 2 results: Wed, July 5 – Men’s Pool A NCDBL 96 Kerema 48, PMBL (1) 155 Alotau 54, Alotau 72 Kerema 62, PMBL (3) 113 Tubusereia (2) 50; Men’s Pool B LAE 112 Daru 86, Kavieng 112 Central  64, PMBL (2) 134 Tubusereia (1) 53,Kavieng 108 DARU 80; Women’s Pool A POMWBL (1) 66 Kerema 35, NCDBL 77 Daru 17; Women’s Pool B POMWBL (2) 83 Kavieng 60, LAE 87 Tubusereia 51.