4 island-nations confirmed for FIBA Micronesian Cup

Lee

The CNMI Men’s and Women’s National Basketball Teams will duke it out against three other national squads when the Inaugural FIBA Micronesian Cup tips off in early June in neighboring Guam.

Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation president James Lee recently received a letter from FIBA Oceania executive director Amanda Jenkins that informed him that a total of four national teams have confirmed for the June 8-11 tournament.

Jenkins said aside from the CNMI and host Guam, the two other island-nations that will send teams to the FIBA Micronesian Cup are Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia.

“Due to travel restrictions both Marshall Islands and Kiribati have issued their apologies at not being able to attend this year,” she said in the letter to Lee. Nauru was the other team invited to take part in the FIBA Micronesian Cup.

The FIBA Micronesian Cup will serve as a qualifier for the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands. Originally, the 2022 Micronesian Games set for the Marshall Islands was to serve as the qualifier, but since it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to later in 2023, FIBA Oceania had to organize an alternative qualifier hence the FIBA Micronesian Cup.

With just four teams in the mix, Jenkins said the FIBA Micronesian Cup will adopt a three round-robin format followed by single round finals “to determine our champion team and medalists.”

Meanwhile, James clarified that the door is still open for Tinian and Rota basketball players as well as other off-island players still wishing to join the NMIBF national pool for the FIBA Micronesian Cup and next year’s Pacific Games,

“For Tinian and Rota, athletes there are considered as off-islanders. If off-island athletes are interested or if we sent an invitation to them, they must meet certain criteria ranging from fitness test to shooting drill test and also have to be active in basketball league within the year. Lastly, they must be present on island (Saipan) no later than May and must be on island for the remainder of the month so that the head coach can see if the athletes fit in to the overall plan/team,” he said.

Tinian’s Sir Dela Cruz recently confirmed on his social media page that he will try out for the CNMI National Men’s Team in May. He recently starred in Tinian’s come-from-behind win over Saipan Southern High School in the 2021-2022 IT&E Interscholastic Boys High School Basketball Championships.