The First Nations Polynesian Basketball tournament kicked off yesterday in Tāmaki, with teams representing tangata whenua, Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, Tonga, and Fiji.
Despite the competition, draw organiser Natasha Ah-Hing says the goal of the three-day tournament is for players to reconnect with their culture.
“Basketball is just a vehicle for our young players to come and get to know who they are as Tongans, as Samoans, and Māori and then be able to use basketball, something they are really good at to express that on the court.”
Ninety-eight teams have entered this year’s competition at Trusts Arena - making it the biggest yet. All the teams are from New Zealand but some overseas teams have expressed interest for next year.
“We know that there are a few teams in Samoa that want to join us next year so, as we grow, we are looking to go global and we bring through teams from overseas all over the world.”
The First Nations Polynesian Basketball tournament runs until Sunday.