HONIARA (Solomon Islands) – This year the Solomon Islands will host the Pacific Games, and the Solomon Islands Basketball Federation have tipped off the year with several Technical Courses for Coaches to upskill basketball coaches at a community and national level ahead of the pinnacle event.

Held at the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport, the courses were made possible through Olympic Solidarity funding which supports National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for athlete development programs as well as the training of coaches and sports administrators promoting Olympic values.

Course participant and Solomon Islands Basketball Federation (SIBF) Board Member, Debbie Sade, said that the workshops have provided a great base for coaches wanting to learn more and assist with the development of basketball.

“From these courses, I’m hoping to share the knowledge, in particular, with the young girls playing at a high school level so we can empower them to be great basketballers on and off the court,” Sade said.  “I would like to be able to coach female teams and other coaches across the country, especially with the upcoming Pacific Games, it is important that we are good at the basics and represent our country with pride.”

SIBF Secretary General, Uriel Matanani, also attended the courses and highlighted the importance of FIBA’s Strategic Priority to Empower National Federations by developing coaching standards across the world.

“One of our key focus areas in 2023 is to raise the capacity of our coaches, especially on the technical side,” Matanani said.  "Providing our coaches with the opportunity to attend these workshops and to become FIBA accredited is a priority so we are thrilled to have this opportunity and capitalise on hosting the Pacific Games is a big win.

“Preparation for Pacific Games is going well for SIBF, especially with the support of the Solomon Islands Institute of Sport and the wider basketball community.  We are currently connecting all the pieces to ensure we have competitive Solomon Island teams on the court to take on the best teams in the Pacific.  We are also looking forward to what we can learn as a federation off the court in coordinating a high quality and profile basketball event.”

FIBA