FIBA delegates make historic first visit to CNMI

Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) representatives—FIBA Central Director/Head of National Federations & Sport Michal Konecny and FIBA Oceania Senior Manager Siale Bain-Vete—visited the CNMI for the first time over the weekend, from Friday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, Mar. 1.

During their visit, they immersed themselves in the local basketball culture. They watched several interscholastic high school games and the local government/business league, met with Lt. Gov. Dennis Mendiola, NMI Basketball Federation board members, officials and referees, and members of the Northern Marianas Sports Association board. They were also VIP guests at the annual NMSA Awards Banquet held Saturday night.

Konecny said the purpose of the visit was to understand what the local federation is doing and see how FIBA can better support efforts to grow and develop the game. He added that they also wanted to learn more about basketball in Oceania, noting that islands in the region may share similar challenges with islands in the Caribbean. The goal, he said, is to understand how basketball operates in these areas and prepare specific programs tailored for island federations.

One program Konecny mentioned was FIBA Plus, which includes governance, sporting strategy, income generation, and women in basketball. He said that if implemented in the CNMI, it could also create opportunities for the islands to compete in 3x3 basketball at the Asia level.

Speaking about the local basketball scene, Bain-Vete said, “We were both equally impressed with the facilities. There was definitely a lot of passion shown on the court—a lot of fast play, which we understand is a bit of a trademark for NMI. We were also lucky to interact with the referees and officials. The basketball board does a great job trying to empower and encourage them, because without their involvement, those games don’t happen. It was a great experience—a very passionate public at the high school level as well.”

When asked about opportunities for growth, Bain-Vete said there is huge potential for the CNMI at the 3x3 level in Oceania and beyond. “We’ve already seen the great success of the CNMI at last year’s Mini Games where they won a bronze medal. I think the style of play and the passion of the players blend really well with 3x3. There’s potential to continue to grow, both competing in the region and beyond,” he said.

On what the local federation should focus on, Konecny said grassroots development is the “basement.” “If you want to build a house, you start from the basement. My recommendation was to start with grassroots, with the coaches. After that, they can take other steps at the youth level and the national team level,” he said.

As former basketball players, they were also asked what advice they would give CNMI’s youth. Bain-Vete said, “Listen to your coaches, work hard, and don’t forget that it is also a game, so have fun. Don’t be afraid to ask for help as well.”

For the federation, Konecny’s advice was to “keep the patience.”