The first national basketball development officer has been hired in the Marshall Islands — a development that Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee (NOC) officials hope will lead to other sports engaging similar development officers.

Former RMI national team point guard and coach Mouj Lewi was hired in May 2011 by the Marshall Islands Basketball Federation.

Three non-government organizations — NOC, the Basketball Federation and FIBA Oceania (the international basketball federation office for the Pacific, based in Australia) — are collaborating to establish the new basketball development officer position.

“If this goes well, we hope to add more sports development officers later (for other sports federations),” said NOC Secretary General Terry Sasser. He said it makes sense to use RMI sports development officers instead of flying in officials from Europe and Australia because it saves money and allows for sports officials who know the local scene to deliver programs.

“We’re impressed with Mouj’s coaching ability and happy to have him on board,” said Sasser.

Basketball Federation President Thomas Heine said the hiring of Mouj is “a big step forward” for basketball development in the RMI. “We couldn’t ask for a better basketball development officer,” he added.

NOC executive board member Tony Muller and other Basketball Federation members attended the formal contract signing of the milestone event in May 2011. Lewi will be based at the NOC office at the Marshall Islands Resort. 

In the photo at the contract signing ceremony at the NOC office in Majuro are, from left: NOC Executive Board member Tony Muller, Marshall Islands Basketball Federation President Thomas Heine, National Basketball Development Officer Mouj Lewi, and NOC Secretary General Terry Sasser.