MIES (Switzerland) – Yet another exciting summer slate of youth continental basketball action in Europe has concluded, but the real wins might well come off-court.
Eight different Basketball For Good projects were launched across hosting countries – tackling wide-ranging issues from inclusion, to innovation and sustainability.
Enhancing the legacy of FIBA Events
The launch of these projects is a continuation of FIBA Foundation’s commitment towards enhancing the social impact and legacy of FIBA events.
These endeavors were organized in collaboration with FIBA’s Regional Office in Europe, with each host Federation invited to nominate a Basketball For Good coordinator. Notably, many of these coordinators were FIBA Foundation’s own Youth Leaders, highlighting the seamless continuity between the Foundation’s various programs.
In the lead up to these Youth EuroBasket activations, three preparatory online sessions were conducted spanning the entire project development lifecycle: from design, budget planning, and impact reporting. Financial support was also provided to help kick-start the initiatives.
Albania, Armenia, Greece: Social Inclusion
Basketball For Good activities in Albania, Armenia, and Greece centered around the common strand of social inclusion.
In Albania, on the sidelines of FIBA U16 & U18 EuroBasket Division C, Basketball For Good coordinator Ajla Gozhdari focused on raising awareness about sign language through interactive learning sessions. With a youth coach or former player guiding the drills, players and staff were supported to improve their internal communication, while deaf children were invited as special guests to watch a championship game.
In Armenia, led by its national men’s team coach Rex Kalamian and the U20 squad, it was a day of play, mentorship, and inspiration, where participants learned about the power of sport in supporting displaced communities and building long-term support systems for vulnerable youth.
At the FIBA U20 EuroBasket in Heraklion, Greece, children aged 11 to 15 took part in a nearly hour-long interactive session with players and coaches from the Hellenic National Team. The event, coordinated by Anastasios Priskomatis in collaboration with the non-profit organization "SOS Children’s Villages", gained added prestige as it was held inside the main ‘Indoor Sports Hall of Nea Alikarnassos’ arena, and featured games, team-building activities, and a values-driven discussion.
Andorra, Portugal, Romania: Sustainability and Innovation
Basketball For Good initiatives linked to sustainability and innovation were conducted in Andorra, Portugal and Romania by FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders Alba Prat, Mafalda Leitão, and Ioana Stanciu and Sarah Dumitrescu, respectively.
In Andorra, for every basket scored during the FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket Division C, a sponsoring company donated €1, which was tracked via a solidarity scoreboard, showing the amount raised in real time. There were also parallel workshops and talks with representatives of the beneficiary NGO, to raise awareness of their work.
During the FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket in Portugal, a truly memorable sustainability campaign was carried out by recycling fishing nets into basketball nets, which were later donated to public schools.
In Romania, young volunteers were empowered in leadership development through various educational clinics and hands-on activities, besides a friendly basketball tournament to boost motivation and teamwork.
Besides these six countries, Kosovo and North Macedonia organized mental health initiatives, the details of which will be disclosed on World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10.
***
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.
FIBA