GOLD COAST (Australia) - 2020 has been a challenging year for the world and basketball in the Oceania region was not an exception but the Federations persevered and still recorded an impressive number of players throughout the year.

FIBA in Oceania received annual reports from its member Federations and totalled over 505,079 participants in 2020 despite implemented government lockdowns in 2020.

"We were pleasantly surprised with the numbers recorded for 2020 because the expectation was not that high, it showed the resiliency and determination of the region in developing the game of basketball," shared FIBA in Oceania's Executive Director, David Crocker.

With basketball competition numbers dipping due to the pandemic, the numbers were compensated with the Federations' focus on grassroots and 3x3 programs in their respective countries.

The growth of 3x3 is admirable, with the discipline launching for a series of competitions in different countries’ including national competitions. A record of eighteen Oceania Federations was able to fulfill the requirements to compete in FIBA 3x3 international competitions.

The Federations cumulatively registered a total of 442 events in the 2019-2020 season. The eligibility of 18 countries in the Oceania region surpassed the previous record of 16 countries set in 2018.

"It was an inspired effort from all the Federations to be able to fulfill the requirements and we are excited to witness the continuous growth of 3x3 in the region," Crocker shared.

Meanwhile, Basketball For Good programs continued to evolve and expand with Papua New Guinea and Fiji leading the way. Both countries are supported by Australia's Pacific Sports Partnership program.

Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea ventured into provinces outside of Port Moresby to introduce basketball to new communities. Among the communities they reached are historic visits to Kerema District, Walapepe Village, Daugo Island, Gerehu Village, and the Bogia District.

Basketball Fiji adapted their Bula Hoops program and innovated with an online approach posting a total of 22 Bula Hoops session videos for free on their Facebook page that ran for seven weeks. The videos garnered over 23,000+ views.

2020 provided challenging situations for the Federation members but the basketball community showed their character and resilience to be able to deliver exceptional results under the circumstances involved with the pandemic.

FIBA