Sr. National Program for basketball to resume

In this file photo, the NMI’s Destiny Pangelinan, right, dribbles past a Fuetsa defender during their game at the University of Guam Fieldhouse in April this year. The search is on for members of the NMI National Team that will be competing in the 2023 Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands. (UOG TRITONS)

The Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation will resume its Senior National Program as the group gears up for off-island competitions next year.

NMIBF president James Lee said the 2022-2023 Men’s and Women’s Senior National Program will resume this Saturday, Sept. 3, with a meet-and-greet for interested players at 10am at the NMSA conference room at the Oleai Sports Complex. Then on Tuesday, Sept. 6, the NMIBF will kick off the two-week tryout period at the TSL Sports Complex. The series of tryouts, which will run until Sept. 17, will be held every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.

“After taking a break for over two months following our participation in the Micronesian Cup in Guam, we are resuming our program for the 2022-2023 season in preparations for the 2023 Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands and possibly the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands.  We are calling all players who wish to have the honor of representing the NMI to come and join the tryouts,” Lee said.

The NMIBF will implement the system in use in its inaugural program for this month’s tryouts, as it will select the Top 20 players each in the men’s and women’s divisions after the two-week trials. The initial selected group will then undergo off, pre, and on-season training sessions from October to early June next year before the Top 12 is selected to play for the NMI National Team and compete in the Micro Games in the Marshall Islands. Next year’s Micro Games is scheduled from July 25 to Aug.5.

The program is also open to off-island players, including those from Rota and Tinian. Interested off-island players must submit a letter of intent via email to the NMIBF National Committee by Oct. 31 for a chance to be included in the program. Once accepted, the committee will set guidelines that will ensure off-island players are putting in the same work as the on-island players to get ready for next year’s competitions.

Interested players, both on- and off-island, must be at least 16 years old, a U.S. citizen, and have resided in the NMI for at least five years. There may be other requirements under the Micronesian Games Council, FIBA, and Pacific Games Council’s eligibility rules, but more details will be provided once confirmed.

For more information, contact the NMIBF at nmibasketballfederation@gmail.com or send a message to the group’s Facebook page Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation. (PR)