GOLD COAST (Australia) - Mildred Izono’s journey from Ponangisu Village in Vanuatu to the courts of Sunbury, Australia, is the latest example of how FIBA’s Women in Basketball strategy is transforming pathways for women in the Oceania region.
Through the Women LEAD Basketball Program, delivered with the support of PacificAus Sports, Mildred was awarded a regional scholarship to complete a two‑week internship with the Sunbury Basketball Association, in Victoria Australia, gaining hands‑on experience that she says has “widened my vision on how I look at things and being a leader as a woman in the Pacific”.
For Mildred, who has spent over half of her life involved in basketball, the internship was a chance to immerse herself in a structured junior development environment and see first hand how strong grassroots systems are built.
“I was on the court seeing what the coaches were doing, what skills they were teaching to the juniors, how the program is being laid out,” she said. “This was something that I loved, I really enjoyed it.”
Her time in Sunbury also included supporting an under‑18 team in Bendigo, an experience that became a personal highlight.
“Helping to assist with the coaching up until when they got into the grand final and they won, that was a big achievement for me,” she said. “It has built my confidence to the level that I am feeling more confident now because out there was like thousands of kids.”
The Women LEAD Basketball Program is designed precisely for moments like this. As part of FIBA’s global Women in Basketball strategy, the initiative equips emerging female leaders with the skills, networks and confidence to strengthen their home federations.
Supported by PacificAus Sports, the program brings women from across Oceania together for leadership training, mentorship and practical placements that accelerate their development as coaches, administrators and community leaders.
For Mildred, the impact has been profound. She speaks openly about the barriers Pacific women face in leadership and how opportunities like this help shift those dynamics. “Internships like this are a big step up for women in the Pacific,” she said. “It gives me confidence. It gives me knowledge. It widens my vision.
“If the men can do it, I’m a woman, I can do it as well.”
Her focus now is on sustainability, building systems that will last long after her internship. She plans to work with the Vanuatu Basketball Federation to establish a junior development pathway and upskill local coaches.
“Basketball cannot grow without coaches,” she said. “We need to start with our juniors upwards. I want to grow more coaches so they can develop players wherever they are.”
Mildred’s leadership journey is also deeply personal.
She credits the Women LEAD Basketball training for helping her overcome self‑doubt, especially around education. “It has helped me to come up to where I am now,” she said.
“I now have the courage; I have the confidence.”
She also draws strength from her faith and her family. “Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God,” she said.
For Vanuatu Basketball Federation, her success represents something bigger. “This is not just for me. This is for my country,” she said. “Whatever I am learning here I will be taking back to Vanuatu to help grow basketball.”
As the current Vanuatu Basketball Federation National Women’s Coach, Mildred’s next steps are clear, ambitious and grounded in community. She wants to build a network of coaches, strengthen junior pathways, and create a sustainable foundation for the next generation. And with her trademark positivity and determination, she’s already becoming the kind of leader the Women LEAD Basketball Program was designed to empower.
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.