It was a dream come true for 15-year-old Jayden Edward Yee after representing the nation at the FIBA U15 Oceania Championship 2024 in Australia last week.
The Year 9 student of Yat Sen Secondary School was rewarded for an international outing after six years of dedication in basketball.
He thanked his family for their support.
“My mother and brother made me take up basketball. My inspiration is my brother because when I was young, I used to watch him play, and that’s how I got inspired to play basketball,” he said.
His hard work and passion earned him a place on the Fiji U15 team, an achievement he is incredibly proud of.
The tournament was a rollercoaster of emotions for the team. Fiji started strong, winning two group-stage games against Guam and the Cook Islands.
However, they faced tough opponents in the quarterfinals and lost to Samoa. They later played against Tahiti in the classification rounds and lost again.
Jayden said Samoa players were faster, bigger, and more skilled, but I learned never to give up. Even if you’re down by many points, the most important thing is to enjoy the game.”
Edward hopes his journey will inspire more young Fijians to try basketball.
“I want to encourage more children in Fiji to play basketball. It’s a growing sport, and it allows you to travel and meet new people,” he said.
Jayden said he was ready to continue making a mark in Fijian basketball and inspire the next generation of players.
