LAUTOKA IS FIRST PORT OF CALL

The Lautoka Association meets every Wednesday evening, over a customary bowl or two of kava, and so it was easy for them to slot in a session before their meeting for the NBDO to make a presentation on the various parts of the Plan. Association President

George Cambers, Secretary Simi Cagilaba and Treasurer Lai Moce welcomed Fanny on behalf of the association and in response Fanny thanked those present for their time and also congratulated the association for being the first in Fiji this year to start their competition. Power point presentations were made on 4 areas - The Development Plan and the NDP, the National Selection System for the NDP, the new Talent Identification System and the proposed establishment of a National Registration System for all participants in Fiji basketball competitions.

Following a brief summary of each presentation and a question and answer period, those present began to understand the changes that this new Plan and NDP will bring to Fiji basketball. Fanny's excitement and enthusiasm about the future of basketball in Fiji was shared by the members.

The Lautoka Association currently has 3 members of the NDP in the National Youth Men's Squad and their support for the future seems assured. The possibility of the 4 Development Squads becoming a Satellite Program next year with squads in the West as well as in the East appealed to those present. Obviously this would provide not only the opportunity for more local players to be involved, but also for more local coaches to develop.

The Association members voiced some concerns about the lack of availability of courts in Lautoka. With a population well in excess of 50,000 people, Lautoka only has 4 multi-purpose courts that have to service basketball, volleyball and netball competitions and the use by the community of the tennis courts. Coupled with the fact that the courts are not covered, the weather element becomes a problem as each sport tries to fit their competitions into a very tight period of the year. The NBDO promised to investigate some possible solutions to this problem and a meeting with the local Mayor and Town Clerk was immediately scheduled for the next day. Other concerns were about the condition and replacement of the basketball rings and again the NDO offered some possible solutions to this problem.

On the national scene it seems that the major problems of the association are to do with communication, or the lack thereof, and Fanny was able to assure the members that this area was being addressed and took details of all the executive contacts and advised that a quarterly newsletter would start being produced soon.

The subject of the upcoming Federation AGM was discussed and the Lautoka Association promised to fill all the necessary commitments for this meeting. Resolutions are already underway to have all player registrations forwarded to the Federation.

Lautoka is sending 4 men's teams and 2 women's teams to the Easter Tournament next month and fundraising is already underway to get the teams across to Suva.

It seems that although small by association standards elsewhere, the Lautoka Association is both alive and well and the future looks promising, especially with the new development to introduce basketball into local primary schools (more on that later)


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