KAITAIA (New Zealand) - Four years ago, Tahiti stood at the mountaintop of Polynesian men’s basketball.

At the 2018 Poly Cup, the island nation’s team won all five of its games, taking down Samoa in the final to win the tournament and earn a spot at the Pacific Games.

With the 2022 Poly Cup approaching next month, the top two stars from that squad return as Tahiti looks to repeat.

“The Poly Cup is very important for Tahiti because of what’s at stake and for the participation in the Pacific Games,” said Teimiri Hunter, Vice President of the Fédération Tahitienne de Basketball. “We will do everything to win the Poly Cup and get our spot in the Pacific Games.”

The Tahitian team is ranked 93rd in the world, and is buoyed by returners Ariirimarau Meuel and Rehiti Sommers. Both Meuel and Sommers earned spots on the 2018 Poly Cup All-Star Team, with Meuel winning Tournament MVP.

In 2018, Meuel dominated the field, pouring in 31 points per game and impressing with his smooth shooting stroke. Sommers averaged 8.2 points, 6.8 rebound and 3.6 steals per game, anchoring Tahiti’s defense to help power the team to a gold medal.

“We will be led by Meuel and Sommers, who of course were both present on the ground in Samoa in 2019,” Hunter said.

In Samoa, the site of the 2019 Pacific Games, Tahiti fell just shy of winning gold, falling to Guam, 83-74, in the final and settling for a silver finish. In the final round, the Tahitians earned wins over New Caledonia and Fiji to earn their spot in the championship.

Since the success in Samoa, Tahiti, like so many countries, has struggled through the COVID pandemic, which momentarily stunted its basketball growth.

Now free of that shackle, the team is eager for the chance to again reach the Polynesian basketball summit.

“Tahiti today is excited to be able to participate again in a competition like this,” Hunter said. “COVID has affected us a lot, and everyone misses being able to compete outside.”

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.

FIBA - Sam Brief