PAPUA NEW GUINEA (FIBA U15 Oceania Championship) - Fiji's U15 Men's team is ready to strut their wares in the upcoming FIBA U15 Oceania Championship on December 4-8 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Head Coach William Peter bared to FIBA.basketball that Fiji will have an attack mentality once the competition starts.

"I think we have a good group of boys that have built a strong bond with each other. We are looking to play team basketball and use that to advance the team. We are an attacking team. We have a rim touch mentality so we will be going to the rim often, coupled with our speed and fitness," revealed Peter.

Peter also shared that their lengthy preparation for the tournament is giving them the confidence to achieving their goal of finishing in the Top 4.

"Preparations have been going great. We have had a good amount of time preparing for this competition. We've gone through an intense two weeks of training with our core 15 boys, and now we are winding down, preparing ourselves mentally," Peter said. "We have set a goal of finishing in the top 4 spots to qualify for the U16 Asian Championships next year. Anything above that is a bonus."

The FIBA U15 Oceania Championship will serve as the first step to the qualification phase of the 2020 FIBA U17 World Cup.

The top two finishers will qualify to the FIBA U16 Asian Championship while top three and four will advance to Division B.

The opportunity to play outside of the Pacific region, Peter admitted is a tantalizing prospect for the island nation.

"To have the opportunity to go up against some of the best nations in the Asia region is an experience in itself. We view it as a way to further develop and expose our boys and program to other international competitions. It will also definitely grow the popularity of the sport in Fiji should we have that opportunity to be a part of that competition," he said.

Fiji, who has done exceptionally in the last few years counting their senior's first foray in the recently concluded FIBA Asa Cup Pre-Qualifiers is set on replicating that achievement, but they also acknowledge the challenge ahead.

"We see every team competing as strong and tough. Of course, Australia and New Zealand are the favorites and have a standard that we are striving to reach in our program. We will not be underestimating any team in this competition but treating everyone as a threat and taking our approach to the competition one game at a time," Peter said.

"We thank everyone that has been a part of our program, and that has lent a helping hand of support throughout our preparations. We ask for your continued support as we participate in PNG in the inaugural U15 Oceania Championships. We will do our best," he ended.

FIBA