The Port Moresby Elite Basketball (PEB) competition is set to host its inaugural Grand Final with an all CivPac Amesii and Tribes Coffee affair on Sunday, Nov 24th, 2024, at the Taurama Aquatic and Indoor Center.
PEB Director, Lawrence Lahari said the competition had come this far into finals week and was delivered using the Federation of International Basketball Association (FIBA) standard.
“The idea was brought up because we saw that there was a need for a well-administered semi-pro basketball league. Although we’re not up to that standard yet, we want to lift the level of the code,” Lahari said.
“For the FIBA system, that’s something we wanted to add to the competition to ensure the games were a lot longer and plays a huge part in terms of fitness, player statistics, and the 24 seconds shot clock as a game changer.
“We've had some really good supporters come on board, especially Exxon-Mobil. They understood why we want to be elite. The idea is within 3-5 years, we want to make it a national competition right around the country.”
He said this year’s competition registered six men’s teams in the likes of CivPac Amesii, Tribes Coffee, Togoba Coffee, ACL Kings, Moni Plus, and North West Wizards, while only five women’s teams comprising the Saints Parrots, Amesii, Tribes, Togoba, and Wizards.
“It was a very slow start but we picked up well, and it showed at the end of the rounds how close the competition was when we got into the finals, especially the one or two-point basket difference in each match,” said Lahari
Lahari said they were expecting a bumper crowd on Nov 24 at the Taurama Aquatic and Indoor Centre for the grand final, with both the Amesii and Tribes' men and women set to battle it out for the inaugural PEB titles.
“There's been some really good talent that we have identified this season, although we are yet to confirm our decision on hosting an ‘All Stars’ tournament next month," Lahari stated.
"The competition has unearthed talents in both the women’s and the men's divisions, while our PNG representatives were sprinkled right throughout the teams.
“The grand final should be a really good physical, close game, fast pace - it’s the way we play, but there's got to be a structure within the game that I think all teams need to adhere to.”
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