Sport
30 September, 2022
Bamaga’s basketball Star
BAMAGA’S new sporting sensation is on her way to achieving her dream of playing for Australia.
Peninsula School Sport invited the Northern Peninsula Area State College (NPASC) student to represent the region at the 16 to 18-year-old Girls’ State Basketball Championships held in Toowoomba in May.
Bethany Nona, a 17-year-old year 12 student, was the first-ever female student from the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) to be selected for state representation.
She received the prestigious invitation after impressing selectors during the Under 18s basketball trials in Cairns earlier this year.
Bethany’s basketball coach Danielle Hewes took six NPASC students to the trials but believed Bethany was the clear stand-out.
The young athlete said she has been incredibly humbled by the opportunity to compete and represent her community on such a prominent stage and hopes to achieve even greater things as a proud Indigenous woman.
“I’m excited because I want to show my family how much I enjoy playing, and I would love to represent my culture,” Bethany said.
“I’d love to be the first young Indigenous girl to play basketball professionally. It’s an honour to show who I am and my true identity through basketball.”
Bethany’s passion inspired Bamaga Enterprises Limited (BEL) to award her a $2,500 sponsorship that allowed her and her mother, Therese Tugai, to travel to the Darling Downs region for the competition.
BEL is a not-for-profit, community-owned company that reinvests profits from the local businesses it operates to fund educational, sporting, health and cultural sponsorships for Indigenous people in the community.
BEL Chairperson, Robert Poipoi, said providing support for Bethany via the organisation’s Socio Support Policy was a privilege.
“Bethany is an inspiration to her community as well as her school peers, and I hope this is only the beginning of her basketball journey,” Mr Poipoi said.
“The team at Bamaga Enterprises Limited is proud to have helped a rising star continue to flourish.”
Ms Tugai, a mother to four teenage girls, said she is extremely grateful to BEL for its support after struggling to fund the life-changing experience on her own.
“I was very emotional,” Ms Tugai said.
“There were happy tears because I was so excited for Bethany, but I did feel a heavy weight on my shoulders to make the trip happen, and at one stage, fundraising got a bit rough.
“But then, when the sponsorship came, it felt like a nice, bright light at the end of the tunnel.”
Ms Hewes said her star student performed wonderfully at the Championships. She believes Bethany is on track to future basketball stardom.
“Bethany’s leadership skills and high dedication, as well as her need to keep learning, are what sets her apart,” Ms Hewes said.
“As a teacher and coach, I could see her potential right away.”
Once Bethany completes her final year of school at the end of this year, she plans to study at a Brisbane university.
Ms Hewes is determined to connect the promising youngster with Basketball Queensland officials who may help Ms Nona join a representative competition.
