NMIBF: Focus on grassroots; more basketball leagues to come

In a general meeting by the Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation last Friday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room, they discussed their focus on grassroots, future leagues and plans, their financial reports, updates on the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium and Koblerville Gymnasium, and the current/2026 board of director elections.

The meeting was led by NMIBF president James Lee, and was attended by NMIBF vice president David Apatang Jr., secretary Michael Mercado, board member Marlene Lumabi, and some basketball club representatives.

Lee, with the focus on grassroots, said that majority of NMIBF’s upcoming events will be catered to the youth.

There is an upcoming 3×3 Youth Back to School Bash—U17 and U14 boys divisions—that will be held from Aug. 31 to Sep. 2 at the Koblerville Gymnasium.

In September, the CNMI is participating in the FIBA Oceania 3×3 Youth Athlete Development Program in Queensland, Australia.

Then, for the third year, “Her World Her Rules” program is returning, along with an-all female “I am HER” program.

NMIBF is also hosting its 4th 3×3 Hoop Fest and continuing its partnership with the Public School System for the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League.

The 2025 Pacific Mini Games will feature a 18-23 3×3 tourney in Koror, Palau, with tryouts and training for that currently ongoing at the Koblerville Gymnasium.

In December 2025, there is a FIBA U17 Oceania Tournament in Samoa that the CNMI might participate in.

Other leagues include the upcoming second Inter-Government/Business League—with dates to follow.

For the 2026 Micronesian Games in Nauru, there is a 3×3 tourney that the CNMI plans to participate in as well.

“We are intending to focus a lot more—our funding on youth development. With that being said, we’re going to have more clinics. That’s our goal. We don’t know how it’s going to materialize, but that’s our goal,” said Apatang. “We’ll have more leagues to train our referees, because we do need more referees on the island. But it’s really to develop our youth—because in two or three years, they will be ready to go off to the Micro Games and give a good representation of what we actually can accomplish.”

Along with their future plans with the development of grassroots and the youth, NMIBF also presented their achievements since 2021—majority of which was focused on the youth.

In 2021, some of their achievements included their partnership with the Tan Siu Lin Foundation for a Summer Sports Program dubbed “Mini Basketball for Good;” IT&E became the title sponsor for the PSS/NMIBF Interscholastic Basketball League; conducted their first 3×3 Hoop Fest; and held a mini basketball outreach program called “BOLA.”

In 2022, some of their achievements included the establishment of the NMI Junior National Basketball program; participated in the University of Guam Friendship Tournament; the men’s team won bronze in the FIBA Micronesian Cup, while the women’s won silver in Guam; held the 2nd Annual 3×3 Hoop Fest; held the first “Her World, Her Rules” program; and participated in the FIBA 15U Oceania Championships in Guam.

For the year 2023, they held the third “Mini Basketball for Good” summer program; continued the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League; held the second “Her World, Her Rules” program; held the third 3×3 Hoop Fest; and held a youth/women’s league dubbed the Pokka Cup.

As for this year, they acquired a five-year contract for the Koblerville Gymnasium in which the NMIBF is holding their national team/3×3 practices; they participated in the 3×3 Asia Cup in Singapore; and competed in the 10th Micronesian Games in the Republic of Marshall Islands.

For more information on any of the upcoming tournaments or more information on the NMIBF, contact nmibasketballfederation@gmail.com.