GOLD COAST (Australia) - FIBA Oceania is pleased to announce the successful participants of the 2025 FIBA in Oceania Media Operations Programs in Commentary and Photography & Videography.
This initiative directly supports FIBA's strategic priorities to develop and empower Women in Basketball and strengthen the capacity of National Federations.
In collaboration with PacificAus Sports and the ABC International Development (ABCID) Program, Women in News and Sport (WINS), FIBA in Oceania launched these programs to provide women from Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Fiji with specialised training in key media operations roles. The programs are aimed to equip participants with the skills and confidence to contribute to and enhance the coverage of basketball across the region.
"FIBA is committed to driving gender equity across all levels of basketball," said FIBA Executive Director – Oceania, Amanda Jenkins. "These programs are a key part of this commitment, providing women with the tools and opportunities to take on leadership roles in sports media.
“By developing a strong network of skilled women, we are not only enhancing the quality of basketball coverage but also empowering our National Federations to build a more inclusive and engaging sporting landscape. And none of this would be possible without the support of PacificAus Sports, and ABCID, so we thank them for sharing our vision.”
2025 Participants |
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Alexis Ah Mu | Samoa |
Athena Sungino | Palau |
Daemi Ngirmidol | Palau |
Delisha Koime | Papua New Guinea |
Dorcas Eunice Tin | Papua New Guinea |
Ella Koroi | Fiji |
Hemah Aquillah | Solomon Islands |
Henrietta Mercier | Samoa |
Jamie Haro | Papua New Guinea |
Jerrica Davis | Palau |
Jill Senior | Palau |
Jubilee Kuartei | Palau |
Keisia Arp | Samoa |
Lisa Puni | Papua New Guinea |
Loata Waqanivavalagi | Fiji |
Mary Manelegua | Solomon Islands |
Naomi Kalate | Papua New Guinea |
Pauline Hgengele | Solomon Islands |
Pualele Craig | Samoa |
Rebecca Passingan | Papua New Guinea |
Sesalina Cakau | Fiji |
The FIBA Oceania 3x3 Commentary Program is focused on developing women's expertise in live commentary, game analysis, and storytelling within the 3x3 format. Participants will be engaged in intensive online sessions, one-on-one mentoring, and practical commentary experience.
The FIBA Photography & Videography Program provided training in visual storytelling, empowering women to capture and deliver compelling basketball content. Through online sessions, mentoring, and hands-on content creation, participants developed the skills to produce high-quality photography and videography.
From both programs, selected participants will be awarded scholarship and mentorship opportunities at upcoming FIBA events in the region, including the Pacific Mini Games, the FIBA Melanesian Cups, and FIBA U17 Oceania Cups, directly enhancing the ability of their National Federations to showcase their athletes and competitions.
This is not the first time FIBA and WINS have collaborated, with previous programs and scholarship opportunities highlighting the need for more media programs to be tailored to women in sport.
With the rise of women’s sport, these programs and collaborations will ensure equal opportunity for those on, and off the court.
About PacificAus Sports
PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high performance coaching in Australia and internationally. The program partners with Australian national sports organisations to support a range of Pacific sports, with funding split evenly between women and men. PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television’s ‘That Pacific Sports Show’ and ABC Radio’s ‘Fresh Off the Field’. The high-performance outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government’s Team Up program, which focuses on sport for development in the Pacific.
For more information about PacificAus Sports and its initiatives, visit www.pacificaussports.gov.au and follow PacificAus Sports on Facebook.
About WINS
The Women in Sports (WINS) program includes mentoring participants through sports coverage and seeks to promote women in sport from elite to community levels and amplify women’s voices in sports coverage, inspiring women across the Pacific, and Asia to get involved in sports media.
WINS is coordinated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's International Development Unit (ABCID) and is supported by the Australian Government through the Team Up program and builds on two previous phases since WINS began in 2016.