{"id":177094,"date":"2025-09-29T08:17:25","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T08:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/177094\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T08:17:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T08:17:25","slug":"from-aiyura-valley-to-the-fiba-womens-melanesian-cup-about-fiba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/177094\/","title":{"rendered":"From Aiyura Valley, to the FIBA Women\u2019s Melanesian Cup |\u00a0About FIBA"},"content":{"rendered":"

AIYURA VALLEY (Papua New Guinea) – When Michealyne Ham steps onto the court at the FIBA Women\u2019s Melanesian Cup<\/a> this October in Honiara, Solomon Islands, she won\u2019t just be making her national team debut, she\u2019ll be carrying the hopes of a village, a federation, and a legacy still waiting to be fulfilled.<\/p>\n

Raised in Aiyura Valley in Obura-Wonenara District, Miss Ham\u2019s path to the PNG jersey has been anything but conventional. Her basketball journey began through the Aiyura Basketball Association, where community support and grassroots passion laid the foundation for her rise. That support continues today, with her mother, and father currently building a half-court in their backyard so she can train closer to home.<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham\u2019s Dad building a court in the backyard<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really a family dream,\u201d Miss Ham shared about the court being built in her backyard. \u201cI grew up loving basketball, and my mum and dad saw how much passion I had for the game. So, together with the support of my family, and local basketball association (Aiyura Basketball Association) we made it happen. It was my parents idea to build a space where I could practice and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The court is more than a flat surface and a hoop. \u201cIt feels very special and emotional,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\u201c<\/p>\n

Every time I step on that court, I\u2019m reminded of the sacrifice, love, and belief my mum, and dad, and my siblings have in me. It\u2019s more than just a basketball court; it\u2019s a symbol of support and encouragement.<\/p>\n

Miss Ham\u2019s selection comes at a pivotal moment for Papua New Guinea women\u2019s basketball. After winning gold at the inaugural FIBA Women\u2019s Melanesian Cup in 2017 and silver in 2022, PNG has proven its dominance in the sub-region. Yet, translating that success into the Pacific Games has remained elusive. Despite qualifying, the team has struggled to maintain momentum on the bigger stage, something they\u2019re determined to change in 2025.<\/p>\n

With the top two teams at the FIBA Women\u2019s Melanesian Cup earning a ticket to the Pacific Games in Tahiti, PNG\u2019s women are eyeing not just qualification, but redemption.<\/p>\n

Miss Ham brings more than talent to the squad. Earlier this year, she attended the FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders Program in Fiji, gaining skills in leadership, communication, and composure under pressure.<\/p>\n

FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders 2025 | Oceania<\/p>\n

\"\"Youth Leaders Program Shaping Community Champions in Oceania <\/p>\n

\u201cI learned how to carry myself as a role model,\u201d she said. \u201cThese are skills I\u2019m excited to bring into the national team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham Participating in the 2025 FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders Program<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham Participating in the 2025 FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders Program<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham Participating in the 2025 FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders Program<\/p>\n

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Michealyne Ham Participating in the 2025 FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders Program<\/p>\n

Her excitement to play alongside PNG\u2019s seasoned athletes is matched by her eagerness to face regional rivals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m most looking forward to playing against Fiji. They\u2019re a strong and competitive team, and I know facing them will push us to play our best basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back home, her half-court has already become a hub for growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving my own court gave me the chance to practice anytime and work on my skills consistently,\u201d she said. \u201cIt has became a place where my siblings and I can come together to play, train, and push each other to be better.\u201d<\/p>\n

As PNG prepares to take the court in Honiara, Miss Ham\u2019s story is a reminder of the power of sport to elevate voices from even the most remote corners of the Oceania region. Her debut is more than a personal milestone, it\u2019s a symbol of what\u2019s possible when community, opportunity, and determination collide.<\/p>\n

\u201cRepresenting PNG is an honour,\u201d she says. \u201cI will give everything I have for my team, my community, and my country.\u201d<\/p>\n

And to young players across PNG, Miss Ham had this message:<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/p>\n

Dreams are possible when you have passion and support. You don\u2019t need the biggest facilities to start, you just need heart, discipline, and people who believe in you.<\/p>\n

The FIBA Women\u2019s Melanesian Cup<\/a> will be hosted by the Solomon Islands Basketball Federations in Honiara from October 13 to 18. The event will be supported by the National Sports Council<\/a>, with the two teams qualifying for the Pacific Games 2027 in Tahiti. All games will be livestreamed via the FIBA YouTube Channel<\/a> courtesy of TTV Solomons Islands<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"AIYURA VALLEY (Papua New Guinea) – When Michealyne Ham steps onto the court at the FIBA Women\u2019s Melanesian…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":177095,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-177094","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}