More overseas competition for Easter basketball

BASKETBALL Fiji is expecting more overseas clubs to be part of its annual Easter Basketball Championship next year.

Papua New Guinea's top men's side Moni Plus Tamaraws was part of this year's event but was not much of a threat to local teams as the visitors bowed out in the pool play.

Basketball Fiji development officer Lai Puamau said PNG would send two teams next year.

He said they were negotiating with other Pacific Island countries to send their top teams to the tournament.

Puamau said their aim was to increase the number of women's teams participating at the meet.

"Last year we had teams from Australia, New Zealand and American Samoa coming but due to the floods in Nadi, the tournament got shifted and they were unable to come," he said.

"But we will be inviting them again and other Pacific Island countries too to make the tournament the best of Fiji versus the best of overseas teams." Puamau said the competition level at this year's tournament had gone up but there were still rooms for improvement.

While competition is the women's grade was quite close, Saints remained the dominant side in the men's competition.

"But if you see the scoreline in the men's final, Boston White did well in the first two quarters. But Saints had set up a benchmark for other teams to follow and we believe this will eventually help improve the level of competition in years to come," Puamau said.




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