The Oceania Youth Tournament that will be held in Guam on September and the 2009 Oceania Basketball Tournament Open that Saipan will host in June next year, topped the agenda in yesterday’s BANMI board meeting at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym conference room.
BANMI President Elias Rangamar scheduled the try out games for the Oceania Youth Tournament, on Monday next week.
NMI will have to come up with basketball teams of men and women 19-and-under to compete in the tournament.
Since Saipan presently does not have basketball league for women of this age bracket, Rangamar raised a concern that forming a team for women maybe tough thing to do now.
For his part, Marianas Inter-Scholastic Organization President Joel Punzalan said there are prospective players for the tournament but it is quite hard to bring them in now these days because they are having their summer vacation. He said only a handful of them are on island this time.
Some of the MISO players that can make it to the national team are Jerico Cruz, Bill Babauta, Manuel Ajoste and Ernest Duenas.
Punzalan said they can bring these teeners together and draft them for the team.
“I will just gonna let them know about this,” he said.
Another thing that is a concern to him he said is the commitment of these prospects. With more than a month left, there are a lot of things to consider while NMI is organizing these two teams.
NMASA President Mike White who is also a part of the BANMI board brought up the issue on travel expenses.
Two teams (male and female), each with 10 players, a manager, coach and referees will be traveling to Guam to participate in the tournament.
The NMI will also have to prepare basketball teams for men and women in Open division for the 2009 Oceania Basketball next year.
The Board of Directors of FIBA’s Oceania Zone has decided to bring the world class basketball tournament to the CNMI during a meeting at Sidney, Australia a few months ago.
The Oceania caging is going to be a very competitive tournament, the BANMI has said since it is likely to be filled out by the powerhouses of basketball in the Pacific Islands like Australia and New Zeland which have already committed to participate.
Selections from Guam, Fiji and New Caledonia are likely to come as they have all expressed interest to participate. The teams from Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti and American Samoa are possible selection as well.
