KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand National Anthem took another beating at last night's Transtasman basketball match.
Singer Skylla Halstead froze-up and forgot the words twice. She was helped out by guard Paora Winitana with a few lines.
Halstead is based in Australia and won a prize for her gospel singing at the Australian Gospel Music Awards last year.
The young singer also sang at the 2001 Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru, according to Australia Music Online.
Basketball Australia confirmed there had been a problem when the singer froze up during her performance.
Asked whether Halstead would be asked to sing the anthem at a sporting event again, Basketball Australia chief executive Scott Derwin said there were no games planned in Melbourne for the foreseeable future so it was not currently an issue.
"Basketball Australia feels sympathy for the singer, as did the 6000-odd people in the crowd," he said.
Maori Television spokeswoman Sonia Haggie said the station has had a korero with Basketball Australia about the anthem and they have apologised.
"It's unfortunate for the girl. She's just a teenager. It's unfortunate for the Kiwi team and basketball in general," she said.
But Ms Haggie said the te reo Maori version of the anthem has improved over the years and she remembers when there was no Maori sung at all.
Basketball New Zealand president Barbara Wheadon joked that the team's management would be going down to Bondi beach to find some New Zealanders who can sing the anthem.
She said Basketball Australia is embarrassed about the anthem singing.
"It's never happened before. I remember six or seven years ago when Australia and New Zealand were playing in a school gym," Ms Wheadon said.
She said it was heartening to see "Paulie" Paora Winitana help the young singer.
"It's part of our culture - to gather around and help. He put his arm out and said: it's ok, we're going to get through this," Ms Wheadon said.
She said if it had been done to a Welsh side, then the whole court would have burst into song but there weren't many New Zealanders there.
Ms Wheadon said Basketball New Zealand have challenged their Australian counterparts and reminded them about when the Venezuelan side visited Napier in July.
She said on that occasion a man from Napier learnt the anthem in Spanish and sang it to the visitors in their changing room for their approval before singing it officially on court.
