NMI's duo Abuan, Navarro continue their basketball stories in national team debut

MANGILAO (Guam) - It is at youth competitions like the FIBA U15 Oceania Championship 2022 where the stories begin.

It might be the story of a future global superstar or it might be the story of a future legendary basketball coach. We don't know how the tales will unravel, but we get to the first few pages here as these youngsters begin their paths in the world of basketball.

For some, like Northern Mariana Island's Chealzka Navarro, the story starts far and away from where they are now, unaware of how they would eventually get to this point.

"I started off as a kid playing around in my neighborhood," Navarro recalled. "Almost every day I'd play with my brother and neighbors at our homemade basketball hoop not knowing I'd one day be part of the U15 Junior Nationals."

For others, like Navarro's teammate Mia Abuan, the story starts with a nudge from someone who sees something in them.

"I started playing basketball for fun in 7th grade until my coach suggested I should try out for the national team," said Abuan of how she started taking basketball seriously. "So I tried out, not expecting to get selected, but I ended up making the team and now my love and passion for the sport has grown more than before."

They are driven by different figures as role models, where they both are looking for the same outcome which is to get better than before.

Abuan says that she looks up to NMI's senior women's national team player, Destiny Pangelian, "because the way she plays is what inspires me to be more aggressive and more motivating to my teammates".

For Navarro, she also looks up to global superstars as well, looking to learn from watching their games.

"I look up to a lot of NBA stars like LeBron or Steph," said Navarro. "There were times when I pictured myself doing their plays or fancy moves, but knowing myself, I need to practice them to actually pull them off."

No matter how different their stories might have started and the different role models they look to for motivation, their paths are now crossing here with the NMI U15 women's national team where they have at least one thing in common.

Pride.

"Honestly, it feels great to be able to represent the place I was born and raised in," said Navarro. "I'm proud to be from the Northern Mariana Islands and to represent the NMI with a sport I love means a lot not only to myself but to my other teammates as well."

"It means so much to me as it is also my first time to have this much of an opportunity to represent the NMI, especially since we've put up the first U15 program in a while."

"It feels like an honor to be representing my country/island for the first time. It makes me feel accomplished with all the hard work that I've done and being able to make my friends and family proud," chimed in Abuan.

"It means a lot to me because I get to play for my country and tell people that I once played for the national team."

The two teammates along with their NMI squad will be going up against Samoa, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Guam, and defending champions Australia.

Especially in the game against the Sapphires, it should be quite an eye-opening experience.

"I know it won't be easy challenging other countries in the region but playing in this tournament will give us many opportunities to learn and grow." said Navarro. "I want to come back home ready to develop more skills from that experience."

That growth mindset from Navarro matches that of Abuan. There will be a lot to experience and learn from in the competition and that's what these two youngsters are looking forward to do heading into this chapter of their stories.

"My expectation for this event is that I would gain more knowledge and experience about basketball," Abuan said. "I hope to learn the different playing styles that these other countries have and maybe apply it to our playing style."

Again, there are only the first few pages of the story for these two youngsters from the Northern Mariana Islands. Once the games commence, once they start experiencing the game at this new level, they be able to add in more details to their stories.

As fans, we get to watch as those tales are told and enjoy the ride.

The FIBA U15 Oceanian Championships serve as qualifiers for the FIBA U16 Asian Championships 2023 with the top two teams going through.
The FIBA U15 Oceania Championships will be hosted in Guam from November 21 to November 26. Follow the event here!

FIBA