The lack of facilities holds back the development of
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
in
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...
. The people of
Funafuti
Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people (2017 census), and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of lan ...
use the asphalt runway of
Funafuti International Airport
Funafuti International Airport is an airport in Funafuti, in the capital city of the island nation of Tuvalu. It is the sole international airport in Tuvalu. Fiji Airways (trading as Fiji Link) operates between Suva and Funafuti. Air Kiribati pr ...
as a basketball court, although use of the court is restricted by the hot sun and rain. The early morning and the late afternoon provide opportunities to play recreational games.
There are men's tournaments held throughout the year but there are no organised competitions for women and children. The goal of the Tuvalu Basketball Federation is to develop participation in the sport by children and the adult men and women and get the national teams back into regional competitions.
Ampelosa Tehulu is the President for the Tuvalu Basketball Federation and Charles Leepo is the Vice President. Annie La Fleur, the
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its nam ...
Oceania Development Manager was on Funafuti in February 2015 to help kick start what used to be one of the popular sports.
See also
References
Sport in Tuvalu by sport
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...
{{Tuvalu-sport-stub