PORT MORESBY – On the back of a highly successful 2016, The Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea (BFPNG) will roll out a new Hoops for Health (H4H) initiative today, Pikinini Hoops.

BFPNG’s H4H program saw some exciting participation numbers last year; its first year of operation. Over just an eight (8) month period this program saw 3,131 participants join the program. The introduction of Twilight Basketball was a huge hit reaching over 2,000 people in just 6-weeks.

Pikinini Hoops is a four-week program being held every Wednesday at the Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre. The program will focus on skill development for children 8-12 years old. Along with the basketball action, the 60-minute sessions will educate children on making healthy lifestyle choices.

BFPNG Chief Executive Officer Joel Khalu said the program was a great way for young kids to have fun and improve their sporting abilities.

“Pikinini Hoops is a fantastic way for boys and girls to give Basketball a try,” Khalu said.

“Not only will kids be getting active, it’s also a fun opportunity for them to learn things that will help them across all sports.”

“For sure they will be a Basketball emphasis, but a lot of the activities and games we’ll be running are about enhancing hand-eye coordination and teaching things like balance, body movement and footwork.”

Khalu said the program also presented a ‘first chance’ for kids to fall in love with the game.

“This is the age group where children can realise the enjoyment of sport and by delivering Pikinini Hoops in an enjoyable setting, where the focus is on learning through excitement, we hopefully set ourselves up to have a new group of Papua New Guinean life-long hoopers,” Khalu added.

Papua New Guinea’s Hoops for Health program is funded by the Australian Government through the Pacific Sports Partnerships program.

FIBA