FIBA - FIBA Oceania adopts new competition directions

PORIRUA - FIBA Oceania have established new and exciting pathways for players and nations competing in the zone, after making a number of far reaching decisions during a board meeting held at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Pacific Championship in New Zealand on 30 November-1 December.

FIBA Oceania President Bob Elphinston was joined by the zone's new Secretary General David Crocker, who confirmed a productive outcome.

"Following a very positive board meeting and a very successful FIBA Oceania Pacific Championship, our zone is well placed to increase support to member federations, strengthen the place of Oceania in the global world of basketball and use the sport to enhance the lives of young people throughout the Pacific," he said.

The various changes include the bi-annual FIBA Oceania Pacific Youth Championship becoming the FIBA Oceania U19 Championship from 2014, with the winners next year qualifying for the respective FIBA U19 World Championships for men and women taking place the following year.

U17 teams will participate in the newly-drafted FIBA Asia/Oceania Championships from 2015 as part of the qualification process for the FIBA U17 World Championship and FIBA U17 World Championship for Women in 2016.

It was also confirmed that future FIBA Oceania official competitions would now be open to all member federations applying full FIBA eligibility rules.

With the decision by the Pacific Games Council that FIBA Eligibility rules will apply to men and women's basketball competitions from the 2015 Pacific Games onwards , the gold and silver medalists in the men's competition will qualify to participate in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualification Rounds in the Asia/Oceania Division 2 starting in 2017.

Australia and New Zealand will participate in the Asia/Oceania Division 1 Qualification home and away games, in accordance with the recently-adopted FIBA competition system and calendar that will come into effect in 2017.

The future programme for women's competition will be established in line with outcomes to be determined by FIBA at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women. Australia and New Zealand are likely to seek qualification to global tournaments from a joint Asia/Oceania competition.

The development of Oceania Sub-Zone Competitions in Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia was confirmed as an ongoing priority, with meetings to be held with all national federations in their respective sub-zones, to establish a competition programme from 2015 onwards. Additionally, the Micronesia Games in Pohnpei in July 2014 are to be fully supported by FIBA Oceania.

Two additional National Basketball Development Officers (NBDOs) will be appointed in Micronesia and an NBDO is now in place in French Polynesia, with financial backing from the French Basketball Federation.

Looked after by Development Manager Annie La Fleur, NBDOs are alredy in place across various countries and will now be further supported by the introduction of an annual training programme.

It was agreed the 3x3 discipline is ideal for development across the 21 member federations and the board will support its development, including lobbying for its inclusion at the Pacific Games, Pacific Mini-Games and Sub-Zone Multi-Sport Games.

A Zone Referees Advisor will be appointed in 2014 and the Board also agreed to review the bi-annual All Stars Tour, with a view to increasing coach education and talented athlete support programmes for Island nations.

Thanks were expressed to outgoing Secretary General Steve Smith and Special Projects Manager Judy Smith for their respective contributions and the board confirmed the head office will switch from Coffs Harbour in New South Wales to the Australian capital of Canberra in coming weeks.

Finally, the four-yearly FIBA Oceania Congress scheduled for next May-June, will include elections for the President and Board and also confirmation of the Zone Strategic Plan for 2014-2019.

FIBA