The Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea (BFPNG) will roll out another of its Hoops for Health initiatives this Wednesday, when the new Pikinini Hoops program gets underway at the Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre. 

Pikinini Hoops will be held at TAIC from 5:30pm to 6:30pm each Wednesday for the next four-weeks, with the program focusing on skill development for children aged 8 to 12.

Along with the basketball action, the 60-minute sessions will include education on making healthy lifestyle choices.

BFPNG Chief Executive Officer Joel Khalu said the program was a great way for young kids to have fun and improve on their sporting abilities.

“Pikinini Hoops is a fantastic way for boys and girls to give Basketball a try,” Khalu said.

“Not only will kids be getting active, it’s also a fun opportunity for them to learn things that will help them across all sports.”

“For sure they’ll be a Basketball emphasis, but a lot of the activities and games we’ll be running are about enhancing hand-eye coordination and teaching things like balance, body movement and footwork.”

Khalu said the program also presented a ‘first chance’ for kids to fall in love with the game.

“This is the age group where children can realize the enjoyment of sport and by delivering Pikinini Hoops in an enjoyable setting, where the focus is on learning through excitement, we hopefully set ourselves up to have a new group of Papua New Guinean life-long hoopers,” Khalu added.

Each Pikinini Hoops session costs K5 per child and BFPNG is encouraging players to arrive at TAIC by 5:15pm.

For more information please contact Chief Executive Officer Joel Khalu on khalujoel@gmail.com

Hoops for Health is funded by the Australian Government’s Pacific Sports Partnerships initiative.