CNMI will host the said caging tourney.
“This year we’re putting focus on administration,” Steve Smith, FIBA secretary-general said, underscoring that part of his visit on island was to hear out the plans of the Basketball Association of the Northern Mariana Islands, and to find ways to improve the coordination between BANMI and the school system’s basketball tournaments.
“We’re doing it right now because… we were up in [Guam during the recent FIBA Oceania Youth Basketball Tournament],” Smith said, saying FIBA is interested to learn the state of sports facilities of the Ada Gym and the possible place of accommodation for the contingents who will fly to Saipan to compete in the 2009 FIBA Oceania basketball tournament.
The said caging tournament will be on June 28 next year where countries and places in the Oceania region will send in their men and women basketball players.
“The second part of our visit is to meet with the organizing committee [of CNMI] to inspect some facilities, and to have a look at accommodations that they are proposing to use,” the FIBA official mentioned, saying they will try to review two places of accommodations on their return to Saipan prior to the basketball event.
He pointed out that FIBA is looking forward to using the MHS and the Ada Gyms for the upcoming basketball tournament.
“We are proposing to use the Marianas High School, which is in very good condition, and has very good facility for our event,” Smith, adding that they are also eyeing the Ada Gym to help BANMI “seek support from the local and business community.”
Smith noticed “there are some immediate and not negotiable things” that needs to be improved at the Ada Gym, pointing out the backboards, shot clocks, and other facilities need to be upgraded.
Last week Smith, together with Judy Smith, FIBA Oceania administration manager, paid a courtesy visit with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and expressed FIBA Oceania’s objective of holding the basketball tournament on island and improving the sports facilities of the Ada Gym.
The two FIBA Oceania officials also conducted a few hours of workshop at the Ada Gym during their recent visit.
They taught certain members of the media, Ada staff, and BANMI personnel on managing the official website of FIBA, particularly in uploading images and articles on the site for easy, timely broadcast of news about FIBA-sponsored basketball in the region.
BANMI is one of 21 member-federations of the FIBA-Oceania.
FIBA Oceania is based on Switzerland, Geneva.
