SUVA, Fiji – After adapting the Bula Hoops Program to an online set-up earlier this year due to the quarantine restrictions of the pandemic, the Bula Hoops League roared back to the field with the launch of the Bula Hoops League.

80 of the best young players in of the program are welcomed to the league and will run until December in a bid to develop and transition them to the national training team – sooner than later.

Four boys and four girls teams with 10 players each are registered in the month-long camp.

“We’re looking to stimulate and identify players for training squad of the 15-and-under national team,” said Basketball Fiji Chief Operating Officer Laisiasa Puamau.

Only days into the opener, Bula Hoops League has already been a successful and fun camp according to Puamau, also a former Fiji national team campaigner himself.

“It’s interesting. It’s energetic and the coaches have been doing a good job with the teams. They’ve done a good regulating the game and it’s been centered around more fun than competition,” he added.

Championing sportsmanship and player development, the camp has also been gentle with the kids and teens by protecting them from any unnecessary scream and yell-based coaching.

"We set some certain protocols for the coaches in terms of being positive and providing a fun and engaging environment for the kids during the games," shared Puamau.

Everyone has enough playing time too to give them room for mistakes and lessons as the league progress.

"It was something important for the kids to be able to continue to develop, having the experience in playing actual games, this way we can see who improves rapidly and can identify talent better," Puamau explained.

Soon, BF hopes to expand the program and league in other areas in Fiji pending playable facilities for the games"

Last May, BF shifted to an online format via Facebook in support of the “stay at home” government advisory amid the pandemic.

It was an equally successful event with more youth attached to their gadgets and computers in this modern era got hooked closer to basketball while at their homes – a major boost to BF’s vision of translating it to live play on the court this early and way beyond after the pandemic.

Bula Hoops is part of the Basketball For Good Program which is an Australia Aid initiative on behalf of the Australian Government in partnership with FIBA.

FIBA