The Auckland Samoa basketball team is in for the Independence Basketball Tournament, which runs from Monday, 1 June to Thursday, 4 June, bringing young Pacific athletes from New Zealand back to the islands to compete, reconnect with their heritage and experience culture.

The team is the only international side at the tournament, with most players of Samoan heritage visiting Samoa for the first time. The trip is as much about culture and identity as it is about basketball.

The team is part of First Nations Polynesian Basketball, a New Zealand-based organisation focused on creating pathways for Pacific athletes through sport. It was founded by Aiono Sefo and is led by director Juliet Leusogi-Ape.

Aiono said the Independence Games give young athletes a chance to experience their heritage.

“For a lot of these kids, this is their first time in Samoa,” he said. 

“We want them to experience the culture, see their roots and understand where they come from.”

The programme also travelled to Samoa in 2022 under the Basketball Tour to Samoa 2022, though this year’s Auckland Samoa squad is made up of a new group of players.

He said the organisation has been running basketball programmes for about 15 years, with the past eight years focused on international exposure and tours. Auckland is the base of its largest programme, which brings together Pacific teams from across the region.

The organisation’s main annual tournament in New Zealand includes about 180 teams and is one of the largest Pacific basketball events globally. Across all divisions, the programme runs from under-7s through to Masters, with thousands of players involved.

“We run a big Pacific tournament in New Zealand,” Aiono said. 

“It’s all Pacific teams, and Auckland is the biggest Pacific city in the world, so it brings everyone together.”

Beyond tournaments, the organisation runs international tours to the United States, Australia, the Philippines and Samoa. These tours give young athletes exposure to higher levels of competition, scholarships and professional pathways.

Aiono said the aim is to remove barriers for Pacific athletes and create clearer opportunities in sport.

“There are a lot of barriers for our Pacific kids,” he said. 

“We try to give them exposure and show them what is out there.”

A key development is the Pasefika Basketball League (PBL), a semi-professional competition featuring about five teams and around 50 players in a 12-week season. It was created to support athletes moving beyond junior basketball into higher levels, like the New Zealand NBL (National Basketball League) and Australia’s NBL.

Director Leusogi-Ape said the programme goes beyond sport, focusing on discipline, leadership and personal growth.

“Sports bring more than just the game itself,” she said. 

“It builds discipline, character and helps young people become better people in their communities.”

She said 16 athletes are currently on scholarships overseas, with many progressing through the programme.

“The biggest reward for us is seeing the change in the kids,” she said. 

“They come back more confident and more focused.”

Aiono said the programme also includes athletes from different backgrounds, though its core focus remains in Pacific communities.

He said the system now covers under-7s through to under-21s, senior men’s and women’s open divisions, and Masters, across about 11 grades. Around 2,000 players take part annually in tournaments, camps and development programmes.

Aiono said the programme was built to address gaps that prevent Pacific athletes from reaching higher levels of basketball.

“It took years to build,” he said. 

“But now we have a system where kids can keep growing, even if they don’t make top teams.”

He said returning to Samoa for Independence celebrations remains one of the most important parts of the journey.

“It’s more than basketball,” he said. 

“It’s about reconnecting them to their culture, their families and their identity.”