PacificAus Sports Partnership Bolsters Solomon Islands Women’s Ranks
Women’s basketball is booming in the Solomon Islands as they gear up for the 2023 Pacific Games with a recent national training camp.
HONIARA (Solomon Islands) – Women’s basketball is booming in the Solomon Islands as they gear up for the 2023 Pacific Games with a recent national training camp.
The national training camp held at the Solomon Islands Institute of Sports (SINIS) in June, was supported by the newly established PacificAus Sports Partnership program adding an additional layer of professional guidance for national coaches and players. The partnership program will further support and facilitate opportunities for elite national basketball teams in the Solomon Islands to access more advance pathways, and directly address FIBA’s Strategic Priority of Empowering National Federations by professionalising national team structures.
“Women’s basketball in the Solomon Islands is developing, growing, and improving on previous years and we are seeing a lot of young players come through who are very skilful and will only improve with this program and quality coaching,” said national player, Helen Aumae.
“More women will come and play if we have quality programs like this,” Aumae said. “The national training camp has been amazing; we haven’t had the opportunity to come together since the FIBA Melanesian Cup in Fiji last October. The girls and I appreciate and are grateful to come together as a team, getting to know each other, build a sisterhood and learn from each other.”
Women in basketball is growing across Oceania with the recent Solomon Islands Training Camp proof of the development and change in perception of women participating in sport.
National player, Esta Turanga said she was surprised by the turn out of women to the training camp which she believes reflects how significant change has occurred. “I have been off island for 10 years, but since coming back I have seen a large growth in female participation, lots of new girls with lots of talent.”
“I think women are encouraged by what they see on social media, it gives the girls more challenges and knowledge to do and try new things. We were surprised by the turn out to the camp, we are ten months into our training and have been calling out for more girls with no success, however the organisation of this program has been great and attracted these women to our sport.
“Basketball is not something a lot of Solomon Island women play for cultural and religious reasons, however seeing all the girls turn up to trails means we can select the best athletes on Island to compete at the Pacific Games,” Turanga concluded.
With the countdown on to the 2023 Pacific Games basketball tournament, the women from the Solomon Islands are poised to make the most of the opportunity and embrace the home crowd advantage.
“The Pacific Games means a lot to every player playing for the Solomon Islands,” Aumae said.
“Usually, we must travel off island to play, but this is going to be an honour to play in front of a home crowd and our families who have supported us so far. Wearing the national colour will be amazing."
To share the sport, that we love with our Pacific Island brothers and sisters.”
The Solomon Islands Basketball Federation is proudly supported by the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports and Team Up in partnership with FIBA.