JAKARTA (Indonesia) — The Rangers Basketball Academy hosted the groundbreaking “101 Basketball Coaching – Deaf Coaches for Deaf Basketball program”, a pilot initiative aimed at developing basketball coaches for the deaf community.
Jakarta has long been recognized as the birthplace of the country’s deaf basketball community and the home of its first deaf basketball academy. However, despite this pioneering role, stigma around the professional capabilities of deaf individuals remains common, particularly in sports-related careers.
The Rangers Basketball Academy, whose mission is to develop its participants' skills and character through enjoyable and interactive training sessions, designed this Basketball For Good program to reverse this trend and serve as a model for similar initiatives, making the local basketball ecosystem more inclusive for people with disabilities.
Led by FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders Tamiang Jelita Tobing and Claudia Natasha May Shary, and supported by FIBA Foundation’s Propose a Project program, the project marked a historic milestone for Deaf basketball development in Indonesia.
The training took place at the newly inaugurated office of FIBA Indonesia, which, with the Indonesian Basketball Federation, contributed to the project as part of their ongoing efforts to carry forward the social legacy of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Over three days, the 13 participants, aged 18 to 40, explored both theory and hands-on coaching practice.
The first day focused on foundational workshops, including an introduction to coaching principles and an exploration of the developmental needs of deaf children in sport. On the following day, the group visited a school where participants conducted observations before presenting their findings. The final day moved onto the court, where theory was put into practice through live coaching, drills, evaluations, and reflection sessions.
The program saw immediate and tangible impact with two participants now actively coaching at the Academy, while another is offering private sessions within his local community, showcasing the success of the train-the-trainer model.
Beyond individual advancement, the project also sparked broader visibility. Volunteers, partners, and local networks began sharing stories from the sessions, helping dismantle long-held assumptions about deaf capabilities in sports.
These accomplishments are the result of a long journey that started in 2023 with the FIBA Basketball World Cup Mascot Education Program, in which Claudia and Tamiang took part as Youth Leaders.
Aiming to create a lasting impact, the Youth Leaders noted the importance of community strength in shaping the program’s success. With no previous model to follow, this collective effort may now serve as a blueprint for other regions hoping to carry on the legacy.
“We really hope that this pilot project can become an inspiration to other cities to hold similar projects for their local communities, so practitioners from the deaf community will always be active in the scene,” expressed Tamiang Jelita Tobing.
Building on the legacy of the Mascot Education Program, the project reaffirmed basketball’s unique ability to connect people, create opportunity, and build confidence. With FIBA Indonesia and Basketball For Good ambassadors like Tamiang and Claudia leading the way, a more inclusive and accessible future for Indonesian basketball is now clearly within reach.
Applications for the FIBA Foundation’s 2026 Propose A Project will open in early January.
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The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports and particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage.
The FIBA Foundation believes that basketball has the power to empower, educate and inspire youth and facilitates this by implementing Basketball For Good projects around the world.
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