Clubs gear up for National Easter Championship

CLUBS GEAR UP FOR EASTER CHAMPIONSHIP

The hype surrounding this year’s build up towards the Easter Championship for both men's and women's has been very encouraging as a majority of club teams have been fully utilizing basketball courts around the Viti Levu area for the past 6 weeks in anticipation of the annual event. Host Basketball Fiji has scheduled the major event to be held from Monday 2nd April to Saturday 7th April, 2012 which will be held at Vodafone Arena in Suva & International Gym in Suva.

Best 30 clubs (20 men’s & 10 women’s teams) have qualified from their respective association through weekly playoff rounds conducted over nine weeks. Two regional club teams have confirmed participation in the event which has added attraction value to the biggest annual club event organized in the country.

Tama Samoa from American Samoa & NZ Bombers who are made up of Māori and Fijians who reside in New Zealand are the two International teams who have confirmed participation in the men's category of the Easter Championship. In the men's category will consist of 4 teams from Lautoka, 1 team from Nadi, 8 teams from Raiwaqa and 5 teams from Suva.

In addition Basketball Fiji hopes to build a strong working relationship with Iowa Central College as the Women's basketball Coach Craig Carlson has accepted an invitation to witness the skill level of players that will be on display during the 6 days event. 

Other traditional highlights of the tournament is a team display march on Friday 6th April at 8.30am from Cost U Less Car Park to Vodafone Arena and will be led by our partners Fiji Police with the service of their Brass Band. A U14 boys and girls match between Namoli Village in Lautoka and Raiwaqa will serve as a curtain raiser match for the women's and men's final. The men's and women's final will be given an invitation letter to participate in 2012 Annual 7th Genone National Championship in Hobart, Australia from 12th -16th November.

Registration for the event is $150.00 and clubs have already appointed managers and organized new sets of team uniforms in anticipation of the tournament. In the past 7 weeks qualifying club teams have been training 3 to 4 times a week at the Vodafone Arena, International Gym, Suva Chapel, Ed’s court in Raiwaqa, USP basketball gym, Lautoka multi-purpose courts, Nadi Caaf Compound, Raiwai Basketball Hall and Indian College.

Basketball Fiji wishes all the clubs the very best during the 6 days championship and strives to run the event like a International Tournament.




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