PMA x IBA Indigenous cultural exchange

Poituukohu Maaori o Aotearoa’s latest Indigenous basketball exchange was a huge success, with our Waahine and Taane teams travelling to Cairns in July 2026 to take on Indigenous Basketball Australia teams.

The exchange brought together Maaori and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes, coaches and whaanau for a few days of basketball, culture and whakawhanaungatanga.

Our waahine and taane teams were made up of players from across Aotearoa, with Kendell Heremaia captaining the waahine and Jayden Bezzant leading the taane.

On court, both sides were tested against strong IBA opposition, with the games providing an opportunity for players to compete at a high level while representing Māori basketball and their whānau back home.

But the trip was never only about the results.

The purpose of the exchange was to create genuine connections between Indigenous peoples through basketball — sharing stories, culture, experiences and the ways each community uses sport to strengthen identity and bring people together.

That was evident throughout the week, with both groups spending time together away from the court and building relationships that stretched well beyond the games themselves.

For Poituukohu Maaori o Aotearoa, the exchange continued a long history of using basketball as a way to connect with Indigenous communities around the world. It also gave our athletes the opportunity to represent more than just a team.

Players travelled as Maaori, carrying their iwi, whaanau and culture with them, while learning from the experiences of Indigenous Australians and the work being done through IBA.

The exchange was supported by a wider travelling group of coaches, management, kaumaatua, kaimahi and kaimaanki crew, all contributing to a kaupapa that was as much about people as it was about basketball.

The response from both sides was overwhelmingly positive, with strong relationships formed and conversations already underway about how the partnership can continue to grow.

For PMA, that is ultimately what success looks like.

Good basketball, strong competition and memorable games — but more importantly, new relationships between Indigenous communities and another opportunity to create pathways for Maaori through the game.