BASKETBALL teams from five Melanesian countries both women and men are in Honiara this week for the much anticipated 2025 FIBA Melanesian Cup.
The basketball showdown kicks off today from Monday October 13 to Saturday 18 October at the Friendship Hall, East Honiara.
According to the fixture women from PNG and Vanuatu will be the first teams to take the court at 11am.
The six-day competition is expected to bring more entertaining and action-packed basketball clashes between the Melanesian countries.
It’s the first time for Solomon Islands to host the competition and as host, SI teams will try to do all their best to get a positive result.
For the men’s team after finishing last in both the 2017 and 2022 editions they are aiming for a much-improved performance as the country prepares to host the regional tournament for the very first time.
This year’s competition will see the top two finishers in both the men’s and women’s categories qualify for the 2027 Pacific Games in Tahiti.
Head coach Michael Nao was pleased with the players overall preparation who have showed a lot of commitment.
The boys have undergone intensive training in building their physical readiness and chemistry as a group.
The boys have put a lot of work and he trust that they will perform really well.
“I won’t put high hopes, but we know that we will do better than in previous years,” the coach said.
Seats have set at $20 SBD per seat, according to Competition chairlady Gloria Hong.
“The price aims to make the event affordable for local fans while encouraging early ticket purchases due to the venue’s limited capacity of 1,500 seats.”
Photo credit: SI Basketball Federation.
