MELBOURNE – A group of aspiring young basketballers from Tahiti have recently made their way to Australia for an 11-day tour to experience the Australian junior basketball system.

The Tahiti Basketball Federation, FIBA, Basketball Victoria and the Eltham Wildcats Basketball Association partnered to bring the Tahitian players and a coach to Melbourne, exposing them to a high level of junior competition through an extensive training schedule.

Ranging from 13 – 20 years of age, the group was split across various teams in the Eltham Wildcats junior and senior programs.

Tahitian Coach Teimiri Hunter shadowed many of the Wildcat’s coaches throughout her time in Melbourne. 13-year-old Vairupe Puhetini trained with the Eltham Under 14.1 and Under 14.2 Boys teams. He also attended the Basketball Victoria Southern Cross Challenge Under 14 selection trials. 17-year-old Bryan Tautu-Tixier plus 20-year-olds Mateanui Y-Fouk and Sylvestre Bonno spent their time practising with the Wildcat’s Under 20s and Big V Youth League squads.

FIBA Development Manager Annie La Fleur, helped welcome the group to Australia by attending some of their on-court sessions and showing them around some of Melbourne’s most iconic tourist destinations.

“It was great to see the collaboration between Australia and Tahiti to make this trip a reality,” said La Fleur.

“You could see on the kid's faces how much this trip meant to them.”

“FIBA would also like to thank the Eltham Basketball Association, without their help this wouldn’t have been possible. They gave the athletes an opportunity to get on the court and test themselves in another country. A huge thank you also goes out to the families that opened up their homes to these young athletes.”

Coach Hunter was overwhelmed by the support that they received on their trip.

“It's heart filled with love, eyes filled with beautiful things and head so grown and filled with experience that I leave this beautiful country and these lovely people.”

“Thank you, everyone, for your help, your sharing, your gifts, your love and your super good basketball.”

“We are truly happy, lucky and proud to have shared so much time with you. Today we go home with a new suitcase filled with experience and especially by having grown up.”

FIBA