Team Coach Laisiasa Puamau

Local based players in the Fiji Women’s Basketball Team have stepped up their training in their bid to retain their title at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa next month.

Fiji is the defending champions and they will be facing tough teams like Samoa, Cook Island and New Caledonia in Pool A.

Team Coach Laisiasa Puamau says that this year’s competition will not be an easy one.

“We anticipate that the competition will be quite stiff as we are aware it is a qualified event to the FIBA Asia World Cup with that being said we are the defending champions and we understand that all the teams will be gunning for us and it is quite tough to be on top.”

16-year-olds Estelle Kainamoli and Moana Liebregts and also 17-year-old Kalesi Tawake will be making their debuts at the Pacific Games.

Meanwhile, the Men’s team will come up against Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tahiti in Pool B.

The South Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa will be held from the 7th to the 20th of next month.