Tournament draws record entries

BASKET: Lisa Adams (centre) in action for the Te Arawa women's team yesterday. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Te Arawa's top basketball sides will chase national titles today during the final day of action at the National Maori Basketball Tournament.

A record number of teams have been competing at the tournament this week, which started on Thursday at the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua.

Tournament director Sue Pene said the event had grown each year since the inaugural competition in 2014, boasting 94 teams this year.

"It is a great whanau atmosphere, you can have the moko (grandchildren) playing, the parents playing and even the grandparents out on the court in the new masters grade."

Along with five new rohe (regions) taking part this year - including the likes of Tokoroa and Hawke's Bay - a new masters grade has also been added for over-35s.

"We have teams from as far away as Kaitaia and Whangarei all the way down to Wellington," Pene said. "We are trying to get Ngai Tahu to enter from the South Island, but it is a long way to come."

Pene said the home teams, representing Te Arawa, had been performing well heading into the semifinals which began last night.

The Te Arawa men's and women's teams were on track to make the playoffs as well as some of the age group teams, Pene said. All the finals are being played today.

Matches are being played across eight courts this year to cater for the increase in numbers. The defending champions in the major competitions are Ngati Toa in the men's grade and Waikato Tainui in the women's grade. Waikato are not entered in the competition this year.

Along with the basketball side of things, all the regions attending the tournament performed an item last night during a social event.

An AGM was also being held last night to determine where the big event will be hosted next year.