The Athletes and Communities Engagement programme is the FASANOC's flagship outreach scheme ©Getty Images

Champions of the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) Athletes and Communities Engagement (ACE) programme used basketball's Melanesian Cup for outreach activities.

Eight ACE champions from seven sports attended the Melanesian Cup in Suva to speak to young basketball fans as well as full-blown internationals.

"We want to show athletes that they have multiple roles on and off the court and we can be examples to inspire others," said shooter Quintyn Stephen, who was one of the champions taking part.

"The programme has changed my life and has given me an opportunity to grow and become more than an athlete."

The FASANOC reports that the main aim of the activities at the Melanesian Cup was to attract more ACE champions, both from Fiji and overseas.

Fiji won the women's Melanesian Cup and qualified for the Pacific Games in the process ©fiba.basketball
Fiji won the women's Melanesian Cup and qualified for the Pacific Games in the process ©fiba.basketball

New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Guam also sent teams to the Melanesian Cup, where Pacific Games berths were on offer.

The ACE programme is the FASANOC's flagship community scheme, and relies on funds from Olympic Solidarity and the Oceania National Olympic Committees.

"We were also happy to share our advocacy programme with participants from Fiji Table Tennis who were using  the Vodafone Arena to train," Stephen added.