Sources close to Basketball New Zealand have advised BANMI that the Kiwis will be sending some of their very best to compete at the 2009 Oceania Basketball Tournament, to be held in Saipan June 20 to 28.
The women’s team will reportedly consist of New Zealand’s 21-and-under National Women’s Team, while the men’s team will consist of the last ten players cut from the Kiwis’ 19-and Under National Team.
The New Zealand men’s 19-and-Under National Team will be competing in the FIBA 19-and-Under World Championships, which will be played in Auckland just a few days after the Oceania Basketball Tournament.
The Kiwis have strong national teams, with the Tall Blacks (national men’s team) ranked 14th in the world, and the Tall Ferns (the national women’s team) ranked 16th.
The Tall Ferns have qualified for and competed in the 2008 Olympics at Beijing, and both the men’s and the women’s teams are regular top threats at the FIBA World Championships.
BANMI President Elias Rangamar said it is an indication of how seriously New Zealand is talking about the tournament.
“They want to beat all of the other countries, especially Australia. I’m sure Australia is going to send strong teams to meet the Kiwi challenge. CNMI fans are going to get to see some great basketball, both men’s and women’s,” he said.
The Oceania Tournament will be held in Saipan from Saturday June 20, to Sunday June 28, 2009. Australia and New Zealand, along with Pacific basketball powerhouses New Caledonia, Fiji, Tahiti, and Guam, and our North Pacific neighbor Palau, will send national men’s and women’s teams to compete with CNMI’s best.
