PNG HOOP STARS EMBARK ON TRIP OF A LIFETIME

Four of Papua New Guinea’s finest young basketball talents will take the next step along the international development pathway, by attending the inaugural FIBA Pacific Youth Leaders (PYL) Basketball Camp being held on the Gold Coast in Australia. The camp begins on Friday and will run over ten days, exposing elite athletes from all over the Oceania region to both high level basketball training and components of leadership development. The four PNG representatives selected by FIBA Oceania to attend the camp are Normalisa Doubunaba & Rosa Kairi (Port Moresby), Nathan Mutik (Kavieng) and Australian-based men’s national team member Aron Farmer. They will join sixteen other FIBA identified athletes aged 17-20, who’ll be journeying to Queensland from other neighboring pacific countries.

At the camp, players will have the opportunity to learn directly from some of Australia’s

Basketball legends, including Former WNBA and Australian Opals Coach, Carrie Graf and four-time Olympian and former Australian Boomers Coach, Phil Smyth. The coaches will be assisted by both current and former Australian Basketball Stars, ensuring a level of exposure to elite basketball not usually afforded to players in the Pacific. BFPNG Executive Officer Joel Khalu said PYL camp provided a fantastic opportunity for PNG players to see first hand the level of commitment and training involved to be successful at the international level.

“Our PNG athletes rarely get exposed to this type of training and the intensity levels

associated with it, so to have four of our up-and-coming junior players participate in the PYL camp is great, not only for themselves as individuals, but also for the sport in this country,” Mr. Khalu said. “A major part of this camp is also the development of leadership skills, so upon returning to their countries players can step-up as role models and make a positive difference in their

communities.” “I’m looking forward to hearing from the coaches on the Gold Coast about our players’ development throughout the ten days, both on and off the court. I really think it's going to be a life-changing experience for them.” Mr. Khalu added.

The PYL camp runs from Friday, September 2 to Sunday, September 11.