JIJEL (Algeria) - From September 8 to 10, the second African Mini Basketball Convention of the year was held in the city of Jijel, in north-eastern Algeria.
This edition carries the momentum of the first one, which took place earlier this year in Benin, where 400 children experienced an inspiring 4-day event.
With the support of the FIBA Foundation, the FIBA Regional Office in Africa, and the Fédération Algérienne de Basket-Ball (FABB) organized the convention to strengthen the Mini Basketball movement across the African continent.
Over 450 children aged 6 to 12 participated in a variety of fun and educational activities that educated them on the importance of health and well-being while introducing them to the fundamentals of basketball in an inclusive and playful environment.
Besides guiding the children throughout the event, 15 international Mini Basketball delegates and 30 local coaches participated in both practical and theoretical sessions led by FIBA experts Guillermo Calvo (Spain) and Keita Moustapha (Mauritania), gaining valuable skills to help advance the Mini Basketball movement in their home countries.
Among the participating delegates, former Rwandan national team player Mugabe Aristide shared his key takeaways from this experience:
I've learned how to work with the kids, to adapt and be patient. We are not only teaching them basketball skills, but also discipline, teamwork, and how to live in society.
Building on the momentum of the Jijel convention, the FIBA Foundation, the FIBA Regional Offices, and respective National Federations will keep working together every year to organize regional Mini Basketball Conventions around the globe and to expand the Mini Basketball Movement.
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The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports 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.