GUAM (FIBA U17 Oceania Championship 2017) – The Division B Gold medal game had the crowd on the edge of their seat, after a back and forth affair, Tahiti was able to take down New Caledonia, 77-70.

Manarai Thunot led Tahiti to their gold medal victory with 17 points, 8 steals, and 7 rebounds.

Thunot expressed a great sense of pride for his team and what they have accomplished.

“It’s a great pride to have earned a Gold Medal. Our goal was to qualify for Asia but it is amazing to be able to take home a medal. We are still very happy with our team and very proud.”

The Tahiti team has been able to find motivation from their family and friends in their country that they’re representing.

“I am so happy to be representing Tahiti. We’d like to thank everybody in Tahiti who supports us and watched our games. We really appreciate all the support.”

Thunot attributes their teamwork and unified performance to their close-knit bond.

“Our bond is good and allowed us to become tougher as a team. We are more prepared for the future and for the next tournament.”

Tahiti will now join the remaining Division B teams to take part in the first ever FIBA U17 Oceania Development Camp. Lead by FIBA Development Manager Annie La Fleur, this camp will expose the remaining teams to world-class coaching by representatives from Australia and New Zealand. 

The remaining tournament games can be watched live and free here. Don’t forget to check out the event website for the latest scores, news and updates from your team here. 

FIBA