Suva (Fiji) - Under the scorching heat of the sun, a makeshift basketball court with white chalk markers depicting a basketball court was constructed in a space reserved for Rugby or cricket.

Basketball Fiji's (BF) Hoops for Health program is in session and the kids are bewildered with a sport that's unfamiliar to them - with Rugby, the predominantly most popular sport in the South Pacific country.

What is relatively unknown to the world, is the success Fiji has achieved in the world of Pacific Basketball and also in its role as a leader in the development of the sport in the region.

BF is a National Federation member of FIBA in Oceania and is led by two full-time employees - Chief Operating Officer (COO) Laisiasa Puamau and National Basketball Development Officer (NBDO) Kenneth Taliu.

FIBA Oceania Executive Director David Crocker has developed a strong relationship with Puamau throughout the years with the former assuming his post in late 2013 while the latter promoted to COO in 2014.

"Working with Pacific nations certainly presents challenges but Basketball Fiji has shown through their tremendous growth as an organization that with a dedicated and committed approach they can achieve things," said the amiable Crocker.

In 2018, BF recorded a massive 40,129 participant numbers in their Basketball For Good programs, under the guidance of FIBA and the support of Australian Aid and which has been continuously running since its inception in 2014.

"We are proud of the things we have accomplished the last five years, we want to give credit to David (Crocker) and FIBA Oceania for their continuous support in our programs," said Puamau. "We are a small team but we pride ourselves in getting results despite the limited resources at our disposal," shared Puamau.

The small team Puamau mentioned is a rotating platoon of eight to ten part-time volunteer coaches featuring current and former national team players, national head coaches, referees, and officials.

The volunteer coaches are given minimal stipend which mostly is for food and commute but the commitment and dedication to what they are trying to achieve for Fiji basketball is more than what they are being compensated for.

"We are grateful to the coaches for their work with us in supporting our vision to promote and develop Fiji basketball," said Taliu. "It's something they do, not for the money but the love of the sport and country."

Tiyana Kainamoli, a Fiji National team representative in the 2019 Pacific Games regularly volunteers as a coach in their Bula Hoops and Fijian Hoops programs.

"Basketball has developed me as a person and has given me various opportunities I couldn't have imagined when I was young. I want to give back and hopefully other kids will see that there are a lot of possibilities with basketball" Kainamoli said.

"Also working with the kids is such a good experience to see the smiles and their appreciation for you during and even after the clinics, its very heartwarming," she added.

Kainamoli started playing for Fiji in 2012 and has traveled all over the world competing in FIBA tournaments and the Pacific Games, while also representing her country as a Youth leader for the IBF Youth Leadership Cup in Singapore and Indonesia.

The consensus of the volunteer coaches is "they do it for the kids and for the smiles they see on their faces", which fits a soundbite from a politician on a campaign trail - but to see the coaches in action is something words or even grand statements cannot justify.

In the beforementioned Hoops For Health clinic, introduced 3x3 basketball - most of the kids were clueless. It was a struggle, to explain the rules given the circumstance and the limited time they had to introduce the game.

But by the time the games started, everyone was raring to play and compete; it didn't matter if they were on a field of grass, didn't have shoes or was clueless about basketball.

As the coaches would share, the kids enjoy themselves and shared their heartwarming smiles of gratitude and happiness to the coaches.

"It's always a struggle at first because it's not a popular sport but it's a beautiful game that has given me a lot," said 40-year old Villame Vacala. "I have been a referee for as long as I can remember and I will do and help out as long as my body can do it."

The National Federation's office is humbly nestled on Selbourne Street in Suva, Fiji which is surrounded by modern and garish government buildings - but the comely place is an abode for the family that Puamau and Basketball Fiji is fostering.

"There will be bad vices if you are not active so we want to have that familial quality within our team and welcome them to our office," shared Puamau. "We occasionally get together for a bowl of kava on Fridays, have barbeque's and hang out after programs. In some ways, we are all here because we love basketball and how much it has given to us, so we are trying to give back and hopefully pass the baton and inspire the next generation."

Basketball Fiji has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and the way they tackle the challenges in front of them is a beautiful reminder of the power of resilience and hard work. The Federation buckles down to work, instead of looking for excuses for their challenges, they find solutions, hence the success they've had in recent years.

Despite the challenges, the sport face in the country, the future of basketball is bright in the Pacific country rest assured Basketball Fiji will be there every step of the way.

FIBA