GOLD COAST (Australia) – The Australian Government and FIBA's Regional Office in Oceania will partner through PacificAus Sports to support high-performance basketball in the Pacific. The three-year partnership will focus on women’s basketball in the region, including enhanced pathways for coaches, officials and administrators. This initiative underscores FIBA’s strategic priority to promote Women in Basketball and will aim to ensure that women and girls have equal access to resources, learning and development opportunities, and decision-making spaces at all levels of basketball. Thanks to this partnership with the Australian Government, FIBA's Regional Office in Oceania will expand its existing programs and provide more support to its Member Federations, from grassroots to elite levels. “This partnership with PacificAus Sports marks a significant moment for FIBA in Oceania,” FIBA Oceania Executive Director Amanda Jenkins said. “It underpins our unwavering commitment to promoting Women in Basketball, and we are incredibly grateful for the support and investment from PacificAus Sports.” “Our strategic goal for Women in Basketball focuses on empowering females in the region across all facets of the game. From grassroots to elite levels, we aim to provide high-performance training, competition opportunities, and pathways for leadership and decision-making within National Federations.” Key activities of the program will include the Women in Leadership program (WiLEAD), high-performance training, development and competitions, as well as innovative media and communications activities aimed at influencing perceptions of women and girls in basketball. “The support of PacificAus Sports is instrumental in elevating our programs, and empowering females in the region is at the heart of our mission,” Ms Jenkins continued. “This collaboration allows us to expand our existing initiatives and provide more comprehensive support to our Member Federations, ensuring that women and girls can thrive in basketball.” “Through this partnership, we are not only enhancing the skills and opportunities for women and girls in basketball but also fostering a culture of equality and leadership that will benefit the entire community.” The first activity, the FIBA Oceania 3x3 High Performance Camp, saw over 100 participants from 15 Pacific countries take part in the intensive seven-day program. Additionally, the FIBA U15 Women’s Oceania Cup will be a significant event delivered under this program. Over the three-year period, it is expected that over 1,000 women and girls will directly benefit from the program’s activities. In addition to its partnership with PacificAus Sports, the FIBA Regional Office Oceania will collaborate closely with its Member Federations, the FIBA Foundation, Basketball Australia, and the Australian Government’s sport for development program, Team Up. This partnership marks a significant step towards fostering gender equality and empowering women in basketball throughout the Pacific region.
FIBA 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 supports a range of Pacific sports, including basketball, rugby league, rugby union, netball, football, AFL, cricket and Olympic/Paralympic 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.