Hosting the first ever FIBA Melanesian Cup is the headlining act on the Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea (BFPNG) 2017 calendar.

The National Federation has released its activity plan for the year, with the major focus on establishing and building competitions at the men’s and women’s senior level.

The FIBA Melanesian Cup will be held in Port Moresby in late September and prior to that BFPNG will host national championships for men and women in July.

In an exciting move for Basketball, BFPNG will also be rolling out their brand-new men’s & women’s national “Super League” competitions, before the PNG Games takes centre stage in November.

Chief Executive Officer Joel Khalu said it was a calendar of activities that PNG hoops fans should get inspired about.

“It’s shaping up to be a massive year for PNG Basketball, especially with us hosting the inaugural FIBA Melanesian Cup,” Khalu said.

“That’s an official qualifying event for the 2019 Pacific Games, so we’ll need to make sure our national teams are well equipped to do battle on-court against Fiji, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.”

The BFPNG Board acknowledged that the best way to get PNG representative sides selected and prepared for September’s event, was through having a national championship for men and women in July.

“At this tournament, we’ll have a tremendous opportunity to see the talent levels we have competing throughout the country,” Khalu added.

“We’re also thrilled to be rolling out our new Super League’s at the back end of the year and we’ll be announcing more about these dynamic competitions in the coming weeks.”

BFPNG also plans to continue its commitment to community engagement, via the delivery of the hugely successful Hoops for Health (H4H) initiative.

“We achieved some wonderful outcomes through our Hoops for Health program in 2016, so we’ll be making sure that project continues to grow and we see more young people participating in events like Twilight Basketball,” Khalu said.

With the deferment of the PNG Games to November, BFPNG’s 2017 Annual General Meeting will now shift from Kimbe to Port Moresby, taking place at the Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre on Saturday, March 25.

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