FIBA U17 Oceania Championships come to Guam – Pacific Daily News

Pacific Daily News 4:58 p.m. ChT May 30, 2017

Australia against New Zealand at the 2016 FIBA U18 Oceania Championship for Men (FIJ), Suva(Fiji), Finals, Dec. 10, 2016.(Photo: Courtesy of FIBA)

The FIBA U17 Oceania Championships will take place in Guam July 10 to 15, according to the website. These championships will see eight mens and womens teams from Oceania come together for six days of competition to crown the Champions of Oceania.

The eight participating teams are as follows:

New Zealand, for the first time ever, took out the FIBA U18 Oceania Championship gold and Australia won the FIBA U18 Womens Oceania Championship in December 2016.

After fourthplace finishes for both the men and women in 2016, New Caledonia will push for their spot on the podium in Guam. However, they must beat out the Samoan men and womens teams who are coming off of mixed results. The U18 men finished fifthwhile the U18 women defeated New Caledonia for the bronze medal.

(story continues below)

Team Guam at the 2016 FIBA U!* Oceania Championship for Men in Suva, Fiji.(Photo: Courtesy of Brent Tipton)

Tahiti could be a challenge this year after their U18 Division B bronze and silver medal finishes in the men and womens events respectively.

For the Marshall Islands and Palau, 2017 will mark the first time ever that either country will have a chance to secure a FIBA youth Basketball World Cup qualifying spot.

Host nation, Guam wont be taken down easily on their home soil. The women will aim to get back to the heights of their U18 bronze medal finish in 2014 and the men will build on the momentum gained from bringing a bronze medal home in 2016.

The FIBA U17 Oceania Championships is the first youth championships under FIBAs New Competition System. Under the new system, Asia and Oceania will combine for competition purposes and qualifying for the U17 and U19 World Cups will be a two-step process.

Greater opportunities await for Oceania nations, where previously just the Oceania champion got to strut their stuff at the next level. Now the top fourteams from Oceania will progress to play in further competition.

The top two men's and women's teams will earn their qualifying spot into the FIBA U18 Asia Championships in 2018. At this event, the top four place-getters will then qualify for the FIBA U19 World Basketball Cup in 2019.

Teams finishing thirdand fourth at the Oceania level will qualify for the Division B Asia Championships of that age group.

READ MORE:

Guam boys improve to 2-1 at FIBA U18 championships

Guam downs Fiji 64-51 at U18 basketball championship

See the article here:

FIBA U17 Oceania Championships come to Guam - Pacific Daily News