The Fijian basketball team are gearing up for the U18 Oceania Basketball Championship, to be played at the Vodafone Arena, Suva in December.

With only five months to go, Basketball Fiji along with International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Oceania and the Australian Basketball Statistics Committee has kicked started preparations by conducting technical training.

U18 men’s coach Manoa Puamau said they are looking to achieve more than they did in 2014 where they finished seventh.

“Our ultimate goal this year is to go for gold or at least finish in the top three. I am confident that we can achieve that goal because the boys have been preparing really well. “Their fitness levels are good and I think overall our team is way better and more prepared than what it was like two years ago.”

The U18 squad were selected from a series of trials in the Eastern and Western divisions last month.

While the majority of the players will be playing in the competition for the first time, Apisalome Lutuviri who was in the last U18 team brings a wealth of experience to the young side.

“Our toughest opponents are Australia and New Zealand, they have dominated the competition and will most likely again this year,” he said. “This tournament I believe will help boost the sport in the country as well, and the boys will get a good exposure from this competition.”

This is the second U18 Oceania Basketball Championship that Fiji will be hosting, the first was in 2014.

Eight Pacific Island countries will take part in this year’s U18 Oceania Basketball Championship including Australia and New Zealand and will be the qualifier for the U19 World Championship in 2017. 

Fiji Sun Newspaper

16 July 2016