KAITAIA (New Zealand) - The Cook Islands men are geared up for a vast turnaround.

After finishing last at the 2018 Poly Cup, the 2022 tournament offers a golden opportunity to continue the sport’s rapid surge in the nation.

On the heels of its Cook Islands Games in Rarotonga, the growing basketball country now aims to shock the field at the upcoming Poly Cup, which begins next month at PunaOra Stadium in Kaitaia, New Zealand.

The 2022 Cook Islands Games took place from 30 September to 15 October and featured 25 sports, including the blossoming sport of 3x3 Basketball.

​​According to the organisers, the Games aim “to be a meaningful and memorable sporting festival that ignites passion, builds character, connects people and bonds Cook Islanders.”

Since the 2018 Poly Cup, during which Cook Islands placed fifth with an 0-4 record, the nation has bolstered its basketball programme, starting at the local level in Rarotonga, its most populous city. In 2017, the Rarotonga Community Development Basketball have hosted weekly trainings with the mission of creating connections and growing the game.

John Engu, president of the organisation, noted that the nation generally gravitates toward the primary sports of netball and rugby, but that basketball has recently thrived.

“We hope to bring both young kids and their families forward and to create connections with many families in the community through the love of basketball,” Engu told Cook Islands News last November. “We are here and we just do what we can with what we’ve got. We’re doing our best and are very passionate about basketball with our young people.”

At the 2018 Poly Cup in Samoa, Cook Islands was led by Brendan Heath, who scored 18 points and snagged 13 rebounds in against American Samoa and Teokotai Akania, who scored 20 points in a matchup with Samoa.

After the last-place finish, however, Cook Islands is motivated for far greater success at the 2022 Poly Cup.

Cook Islands, as always, is guided by its creed, “Together as One, we move our Nation”…..“ Kia okotai tatou, ka arangatu te Ipukarea.”

The top two teams at the Poly Cup will qualify for the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands. The Pacific Games then serves as the official qualifier for the Oceania region to the FIBA Asia Cup Pre-Qualifiers.