Top-two finish sought

PNG men’s basketball coach Joel Kahlu believes the side he has at his disposal can earn a top-two finish at July’s Pacific Games.
Khalu, who was in Port Moresby for their first training camp last week, said he was happy with the squad and the direction it was headed. “We want to be bringing home a medal,” Kahlu said who was in charge of PNG’s fourth place finish at thye last Pacific Games in 2015 in Port Moresby.
“Our goal is to be playing in that gold medal game, top two.
“You know if we can make that gold medal game anything can happen and obviously with basketball, if we finish in the top two at the Pacific Games, we then make the qualifiers for the FIBA Asian Championships, so our aim is to be right up there in the top two.
“I think we definitely got the ability to do it.”
PNG were beaten by Fiji in the bronze medal playoff at the 2015 Games but Kahlu said the team had progressed well since then winning the Melanesian Cup last year and had served notice to rivals heading to Samoa.
“The only challenge is that we no longer will go in as underdogs. We’re Melanesian Cup champions and were fourth place in 2015 and sides will bring their A games against us and hopefully we can go out there in Samoa and prove how good we are.”