12 SPORT
THURSDAY 20 APRIL 2023 TORRES NEWS
Team spirit wins at national basketball finals BY VELMA GARA
At the Opening Ceremony. Back Row – Nate Jawai (IBA Ambassador), Tomaseena Jawai (Qld South Girls Manager), Front – Naomi Moke (Qld South Girls Coach) & Lavinia Taylor (Qld South Girls Asst Coach). Pic supplied by Naomi Moke.
The 14s girls from West Australia and boys from Victoria are this year’s National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) champions. In the girls game West Australia defeated New South Wales, 50 to 34 and in the boys Victoria defeated West Australia, 42 to 25. It was a successful tournament for West Australia having both teams featured in the grand finals two years in a row. Grand finalists from the inaugural NIBT, Queensland South, played for the bronze medal and won both games. The girls’ team defeated Victoria in an exciting game, 57 to 54 with overtime. In the boys’ game Victoria took out a high scoring win, 71 to 53, over South Australia. The Queensland South girls’ team was coached by Naomi Moke and Lavinia Taylor, and the boys’ team coached by Tidjane Diop and Simon Taylor. It was the second year of successful competition hosted by the Patty Mills’ Indigenous Basketball Australia (IBA) with teams from eight regions – Northern Territory, Torres Strait, Queensland North, Queensland South, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and West Australia – in the competition. The NIBT was held on the Gold Coast from 12 – 15 April 2023. More pics on P13 N
Adeja Willie-Jawai flexes and Qld South bench gets excited! Pic supplied by Indigenous Basketball Australia.
Torres Strait Islander teams rep above and beyond
DREAM BIG! “Make sure I look just like Patty!” – Torres Strait Region Girls Team member Natayah-Lee Bin-Awel said. And she did. Pics supplied. PICS RIGHT (TOP TO BOTTOM): 1 & 2: Repping for their regions – girls representatives from each of the eight teams for each. 3: The Torres Strait Boys Team with eventual winners, Victoria. 4: The Torres Strait Girls Team with Queensland South.
