THE CNMI’S very own Lia Rangamar and Sera Vugakoto of Fiji have been awarded with the Maureen Elpinston Scholarship for their contributions to WiLEAD, FIBA’s Women in Leadership Program.
FIBA is the International Basketball Federation.
According to FIBA’s website, WiLEAD or Women in Leadership Program “has been designed to identify, educate, motivate and develop the next generation of female leaders in management and administration, while also increasing gender diversity by creating new pathways and support network.”
FIBA said the “announcement of this inaugural scholarship highlights the positive impact of female empowerment and development across Oceania aligning with FIBA’s strategic priority of ‘Women in Basketball’ for 2019-2023 aiming to increase the role of females at all levels of the sport.”
Rangamar said she is excited about the scholarship. “The exposure and experience I’ll be getting from the WiLEAD internship will be invaluable. It’s a huge opportunity for me to continue growing and developing my skills in basketball outside the role of an athlete.”
Rangamar added, “From this internship, I hope to get a better understanding of how I can encourage women to come out and play basketball, regardless of their age or skill level. The more women we have participating regularly, the better for the longevity of our NMI women’s program.”
Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation President James Lee said they are “proud that one of our own, Lia Rangamar, has been chosen as recipient of the first-ever Maureen Elphinston Scholarship.”
Lee noted that “Lia is a former NMI national player and has now taken on a leadership role with her election to the NMIBF board. Her experience in playing basketball for the NMI national team and her involvement with interscholastic and women’s basketball programs support our efforts to rebuild NMI basketball and elevate its level.”
He said through the Maureen Elphinston Scholarship, “Lia will have more opportunities to learn about basketball management and administration and share them with local players and coaches when she gets back on island.”
Maureen Elphinston, who passed away in January 2021 at the age of 79, was an outstanding basketball player and coach of New South Wales, Australia. Among her achievements was being selected as a member of the Australian team that saw action in the 1967 FIBA World Championships in Czechoslovakia.
Lia Rangamar gives a rundown of a training routine during a session of the NMI Basketball Federation’s Mini Basketball Village Outreach Program or “Bola” earlier this year.
