PORT MORESBY (Papua New Guinea) - The Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea's Basketball For Good (B4G) programs has provided a platform for coaches to elevate themselves while helping the youth in the country learn the game, one of the volunteer coaches is Rosa Kairi.

A perennial national women's team representative, Kairi, has been involved with the B4G programs since 2014 when she was only 16 years old.

"I first got involved with the programs in 2014, my job then started with the Mum's A Hero program. It was a great initiative for women in the communities so I was super happy to contribute and help in the program," shared Kairi.

The 23-year old continued to help out in the B4G initiatives and expanded to their Hoops For Health programs of BFPNG.

Kairi mentioned that because of the Hoops for Health program, she has gained the respect and admiration of kids that have participated in the programs.

"Helping out in the Hoops for Health to teach kids is a great experience. At first, I did not command any respect maybe because I wasn't that much older yet or because I was a girl playing basketball," she shared.

"But in time, that has changed. The kids I taught before would greet me as a coach when I pass by them which helps both the players and coaches to build a relationship moving forward," she added.

The volunteer coach believes that the programs are essential for the country and promised that she will continue to help the programs.

"I am a firm believer in the ideals and goals of our B4G programs and I will always help out BFPNG if they need me," she stated.

Kairi, a proud member of PNG's national team also dreams of international success for her country.

"My proudest basketball moments are representing my country in international competitions. We want PNG to compete in bigger tournaments and to achieve that we need to win the Pacific Games," shared Kairi who started learning the game at the Hohola Basketball courts.

The proud PNG native was part of the 2017 FIBA Melanesia Cup and 2019 Pacific Games.

With her sights clear and determination to help the youth, Kairi is a young leader putting words into action in helping the game of basketball grow in her country.

FIBA