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New Caledonia national team, winner of the last three major pacific tournaments (2001, 03 and 05) made a tour in France to prepare the upcoming South Pacific Games in Samoa. The bad news came from the french based players Emmanuel Soeria (188-G/F-82) and Rodrigue Tetainanuarii (202-F-82). Soeria is out for months due to a severe injury and Tetainanuarii is unavailable for the summer competition. "I'm about to sign with a new team and I can't miss the pre-season preparation" said Tetainanuarii to explain his situation. He even played one game with the national side during side before heading to Vitre, his new team. And the last game scheduled for the caledonian was against... Vitre! The french team won 81-73, a strange feeling for Tetainanuarii. New Caledonia plans to do this kind of tour every four years before the SPG, this year's tour was a great occasion to include Tetainanuarii and another french-based player Raymond Weber. The team won four of its first five games but finished the tour with 2 losses and one draw. But the coaches know what are the flaws of the team. "This is the same things that are comeingback every day since we arrived here" said Angelo Francois-Elocie."We are not serious enough and we must improve our defensive rebounds and fastbreak. These aspects of our game were OK in Noumea but now we know that there is room for improvement after some games against some guality team." Unbeatable since six years at the Pacific level, New Caledonia will be one of the favourite for the 2007 SPG but the coach is not happy with that and tries to convince everybody that the caledonian will be the underdogs. "I do not think that we are the favourite" said Francois-Elocie "I mean the samoans will be playing at home and according to what they showed four years ago, they will be the favourite team for the Gold. And we should not forget Fiji, Guam and Tahiti who improved a lot in the past. Our role will be to stay with the best and play our best basketball". The federation named a 29-player extended roster but the coach already have his final team in mind. "If no injury comes in our way, the players who made the tour in France will be on the South Pacific Games courts." said the coach "But we still have a lot of work ahead if we want to win another Gold medal. Players like Stephane Saminadin, Jean-Jacques Taufana or Laurent Berni�re proved that they can raise the level of their game when required and we could rely on them in the future. I don't have only a starting five but a complete 12-player team" The extended team features to usual Fabrice Chaliot, JJ Taufana, Lorenzo Subiranas, Felix Kilikili and the Weber brothers. The coaches also selected the Vanuatu-born Bob Belbong who was a FIBA Oceania All-Star in 2004 and did not represent the country since. New Caledonia extended squad - SPG 2007: Miguel Delaveuve Laurent Berniere Stephane Saminadin Joseph Vei Raymond Weber Benoit Hanne Felix Kilikili Jean-Christian Arnaud Bob Belbong Christophe Bonbon Pierre Bourson Fabrice Chaliot Julien Chapitreau Yvanohe Fenuafanote Gerard Girier-Dufournier Benjamin Hnawia Tony Kolokimoana Pierre Loyat Moana Mana Yann Mathelon Cyril Metzdorf Karyl Paillandi Youri Paul Lorenzo Subiranas Jean-Jacques Taufana Benoit Weber Ludovic Souque unavailable: Rodrigue Tetainuarii, Emmanuel Soeria |
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