GOLD COAST (Australia) – FIBA are thrilled to collaborate with the Basketball Australia through the She Hoops Leadership and Confidence Scholarship in 2025, with two regional participants announced from Palau, and Fiji.
Kierra Kedengek Ketenbengage from Palau, and Makaefa Savu from Fiji have been announced as the first ever FIBA in Oceania She Hoops Leadership and Confidence Scholarship 2025 recipients.
Selected from 10 applications across the Oceania region (excluding Australia), Kierra and Makaefa will take part in the five-month scholarship designed for aspiring female athletes, providing them with a leadership experience like no other.
"This collaboration with Basketball Australia through She Hoops, makes sense for us, as we aim to empower women in basketball across the region in as many ways as we can," FIBA Executive Director – Oceania, Amanda Jenkins said. "With the growth of women’s basketball globally, this scholarship program directly aligns with our values, and goals with Women in Basketball a core pillar of the FIBA Strategy."
The opportunity is also supported by PacificAus Sports who have recently partnered with FIBA in Oceania to enhance and refine opportunities for Women in Basketball regionally. "Our partnership with PacificAus Sports also allows us the opportunity to align with programs such as She Hoops, for meaningful outcomes across our basketball communities," Ms Jenkins said.
Ahead of the program tipping off, Makaefa said she is looking forward to gaining valuable experience, and industry-recognised accreditations in coaching, and officiating to underpin her opportunities in basketball, on and off the court.
"With the knowledge, and skills I gain I can help find ways to grow the sport of basketball in Fiji particularly amongst girls," Makaefa said. "I believe basketball has something to offer everyone because it’s such an inclusive sport and want as many people as possible to enjoy it the way I do."
Inspired by her mother who encourages her to embrace challenges to become stronger, Makaefa is eager to put her best foot forward. "We cannot all be elite basketball players, but understanding other opportunities to stay involved in the game and to perhaps help create even more opportunities for the next generation of girls will be a great experience."
Head of Women in Basketball in Australia, Lauren Jackson said, "We are really excited to be expanding this program in collaboration with FIBA Oceania."
"Providing girls with these opportunities from all around our region will create a lasting legacy of female leaders in our sport as coaches, officials, and administrators. Our aim in this program is to empower girls in our sport to become leaders in their own communities, to give them the confidence to step up and lead the next generation."
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About FIBA FIBA (fiba.basketball) - the world governing body for basketball, is an independent association formed by 212 National Basketball Federations throughout the world. It is recognized as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
For further information about FIBA in Oceania, visit about.fiba.basketball/oceania or follow FIBA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube.
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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.
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About She Hoops
She Hoops is a Basketball Australian initiative that exists to break down barriers and build a community of women and girls who feel seen, heard, and empowered.
The She Hoops mission is to provide more opportunities for women and girls to get involved and stay involved in basketball. We do this by inspiring, connecting and empowering women and girls through engaging programs, networking events and leadership pathways.