HONIARA (Solomon Islands) – The 2025 editions FIBA Melanesian Cup and FIBA Women’s Melanesian Cup provided a unique opportunity off the court in Honiara, for aspiring female commentators in the region to refine their skills and commentate to a global basketball audience.
FIBA in collaboration with ABC International Development Program, Women in News and Sport (WINS), orchestrated a three-day workshop in Honiara prior to the FIBA Melanesian Cups, with participants then provided with an opportunity to commentate throughout the event.
“We are passionate about providing opportunities on and off the court for women in basketball across the Oceania region, and with the support of ABC International Development, and PacificAus Sports, we are able to have more meaningful reach and engagement,” FIBA Executive Director – Oceania, Amanda Jenkins said. “A key component to empowering women in basketball is finding a balance between what we can facilitate online, and how we can support further development in-country around FIBA events.”
Opportunities to commentate at regional sports events in the Pacific are few, and far between for aspiring female commentators, with Fijian participant, Sesalina Cakau expressing the desire to learn more with opportunities attached to delivering live sporting events.
“The commentary training and mentorship at the FIBA Melanesian Cups 2025 was a real eye-opener for me,” Cakau said. “It gave me a deeper understanding of how to connect with viewers through storytelling and bring the game to life. Learning from some of the best professionals on the platform was truly inspiring and has helped me grow both as a commentator and a storyteller.”
“I’ve learned that consistency and belief are everything, I keep telling myself to show up, stay ready, and trust that my moment will come.”
Based in Australia, NBL and WNBL Commentator, Tristan Prentice travelled to the Solomon Islands to mentor participants through the intensive workshops and then supported their commentary journey during the event.
"Our goal was to discover new talent and voices in the Women in Basketball program not only to commentate these games in their region for years ahead, but also develop their own style and confidence,” Prentice said. “It's been pretty clear from the evidence of the games from start to the end of the tournament the valuable growth and exposure this environment we created had a positive influence on these women."
This Women in Basketball Commentary Program in collaboration with ABC International Development has been supported by PacificAus Sports, an Australian Government initiative that supports the development of women in sport and media across the Pacific. Through strategic partnerships with FIBA and National Federations, PacificAus Sports has helped empower the next generation of women in sport and media in the region.
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.