it to the commonwealth two weeks ago.
The Board of Directors of FIBA’s Oceania Zone decided to bring the world class basketball tournament to the CNMI during a meeting at Sidney, Australia according to Basketball Association of the Northern Marianas Islands.
The Oceania caging the BANMI said in a statement is likely to e 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.
The BANMI will be the local organizing committee and plans to hold the events at the Marianas High School and Gilbert C. Aday Gym in the last week of June. Most of the visiting athletes will be housed at MHS.
The tournament will feature men and women’s teams from across the Pacific region and is going to be limited to eight teams.
NMI will also enter men and women’s teams, and the remaining five slots for men and women will be filled by FIBA Oceania from among the other Pacific countries that will join.
The 21 basketball federations of Oceania Zone will also elect their officers for the next four years.
“We are really looking forward to hosting the countries of the Pacific next year. We’re going to put on a first-class tournament. It will be a great opportunity for the people of the Northern Marianas to get to see world-ranked teams from Australia and New Zealand and for our men’s and women’s teams to compete (with) the best of the Pacific. We’re grateful to
FIBA Oceania for giving us this opportunity to show what we can do,” says BANMI President Elias Rangamar who was excited to hear about FIBA Oceania Zone’s decision to award the tournament to the CNMI.
