Six junior basketball players soon will make their dreams come true to become national reps
and securing overseas contracts in future.
After the Kaji clinic at the Eds Courts over the weekend, national development officers Laisiasa
Puamau and Mark Seccombe selected six best players to undergo a special development programme.
Raeko Finch (14), Shaun Yuen (11), Jordan Dokonaivalu (9), Johnny Dyer (12), Richard Misau, Vika Ramara (13) and Paulini Elder (13) excelled at the clinic and would undergo programmes such as the Junior Basketball Competitions to help get them at a consistent base.
Puamau said they selected the six according to their approaches to the game and how they respond to the basics being taught to them during the kaji clinics.
We haÂÂve selected three players from the previous primary school competition and another three at the clinic. These six players were selected according to their performance and we aÂÂre really interested in tapping their potentials,ÂÂ he said.
They have the skills, height advantage and are very promising young players that still has a long way to go. If they are drilled and developed now they could end up in securing overseas scholarships in the future, Puamau said.
ÂAfter the completion of the development programme which would start very soon, we might allow them to play in associations where they could be exposed to another level.
Also we are hoping to put these players into our National Development Programme during the school holidays which is a program for elite players that we usually have for our high school and senior teams.Â
He said the NDP would be extended to the primary level and we hope to groom these players and bring them together on school holidays and long weekends so in 3 years time they can compete in the Under 16 World Basketball Championships.
This can be seen as an investment for the future and it is through these kids that will take the sport to another level and lift the level of competition not only on the local scene but International too,ÂÂ Puamau said.
The Fiji Sun Online
13th May, 2009
Last Modified on 13/05/2009 08:04
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