Ialibu to host 2024 Basketball Championships  

Basketball Federation of PNG [BFPNG] is anticipated to host the 2024 National Championships in Ialibu, Southern Highlands Province.  

BFPNG President David Peter told NBC Online that Ialibu was given the hosting rights over the other proposed venues in Lae and Port Moresby.

He said it was also a strategic approach to host the game outside the nation’s capital in alignment with PNG Sports Foundation’s pilot project, ‘Go Rural to Go Global’.

“So they (PNGSF) want to go to rural areas and identify talents there and then expose them at the global arena, so also we're looking at giving opportunity for many of our regions in the country,” Peter said.

“We got Momase, Highlands, and parts of Southern, especially from Gulf and Kikori, also coming up to play. So we got more than half or about 75% of the associations are going to be able to attend just by coming on road transport.”

The basketball championship was originally scheduled to be held last month but the previous management did not host the championship.

With the new executives on board, Peter said the federation has proposed the tournament from September 13-17.

“We've been pressed with time to deliver these games. So that is why one of those things that we wanted to really do when getting into this office was to get these games going,” he said.

Riwi village will accommodate about 34 associations who will be given the opportunity to compete in the national event.

The BFPNG president said this initiative also provides an ideal chance for local talents to showcase their basketball craft to be considered for selections into national teams. 

“We want to make sure that every person across the country is given the opportunity to showcase their talent, and to, instead of concentrating our selections based around players in Port Moresby alone.

“We [executives] feel that this will give opportunity for everyone in the rural areas to be able to participate and showcase their talents.

“So when we are making selections, we will know that we have at least covered 75 or 80% of the country in trying, in doing our selections.”

Peter said this is the first time a national championship would be hosted away from the big city and urged all associations and stakeholders to support this initiative.

He further stated that the event will be used as a litmus test to experiment with the readiness of Southern Highlands who will host the prolonged PNG Games next year.