Cook Islands Basketball Federation will be hosting the Polynesian Cup 5x5 tournament in New Zealand later in the year.

The FIBA Oceania tournament will be used as a qualifier for the Pacific Games 2023 to be held in the Solomon Islands.

Cook Islands Basketball Federation president Richelle Gempton says the tournament is for opens categories (men’s/women’s) and will be played in 5v5 format.

Five countries have been invited to the Polynesian Cup – Cook Islands, American Samoa, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga

The top three teams from the tournament will qualify for the Pacific Games.

Cook Islands Basketball competed in the last Polynesian Cup in 2018 where the women’s team placed first, and were unbeaten through the whole tournament.

Gempton and federation vice president Keziah Lewis were part of the team that won the 2018 tournament.

Gempton said: “This is a great honour for Cook Islands Basketball as this is the first time we will host the Polynesian Cup.”

“As the host country we get automatic qualification for both our open men’s and open women’s teams at the Pacific Games.

“We are putting out feelers for potential players and coaches who are eligible to compete and coach. There will be updates in due course via our Facebook page (Cook Islands Basketball), so keep an eye out.”

The tournament will be hosted in New Zealand, later this year.

“Unfortunately we are unable to host the tournament locally due to our facilities undergoing maintenance and not meeting FIBA standards at this point in time.”

The Cook Islands Basketball Federation is all-female board led by Gempton, vice president Lewis, secretary Jessie Sword, and treasurer Tessa Vaetoru.