HONIARA (Solomon Islands) – The Pacific Games Basketball schedules have officially dropped to celebrate 150 days until tip-off.

With eight men’s and eight women’s teams confirmed, the Games schedules are poised to provide participating federations with the necessary information to plan their Pacific Games success.

Held across nine days, the Pacific Games Basketball Tournament will see teams from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Tonga playing for not only a Gold Medal, but for a place in the FIBA Asia Cup Men’s and Women’s Qualifiers.

With basketball tipping off two days before the Pacific Games Opening Ceremony, Executive Director – Oceania, Amanda Jenkins said that the region is excited to see the best basketballers in the region playing at the Games.

“The Pacific Games Basketball Tournament is a wonderful culmination of the Micronesian, Melanesian and Polynesian Cups held in 2022,” Ms Jenkins said.  “To have the best male and female basketball teams at one event with a host of other sports is what makes the Pacific Games so special.”

In the men’s competition, the reigning champions, Guam will face Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Solomon Islands in their pool matches with Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti, and Tonga in the corresponding pool to cross over in qualifying finals.

In the women’s competition, the reigning champions, American Samoa did not qualify, so the 2019 Silver Medallists, Fiji will be out to go one better in 2023 with Guam, Samoa, and Solomon Islands in their pool.  Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, and Tahiti round out Pool B, playing for a spot in the qualifying rounds.