MAHE (Seychelles) – In a shining example of Basketball For Good program continuity, Seychelles' flagship Hoops 4 Health initiative has successfully completed its three-year cycle.
Powered by Al Salam Bank, the community impact project targets the high incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the island region, using basketball as a tool to increase awareness among youth.
As in the previous two years, a teachers' workshop was initially held in May, followed by in-school activities till November, culminating in an action-packed Basketball For Good Festival.
The May workshop was attended by Youth Leaders and PE Teachers, who were introduced to the Hoops 4 Health curriculum. Thereafter, a record 70 school visits were conducted across Seychelles' three main islands of Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue.
These school visits saw the integration of basketball lessons with education on health and wellbeing, encouraging children to imbibe healthier habits in a playful atmosphere.
Basketball For Good Festival
The third Basketball For Good Festival was hosted respectively at the Victoria Gymnasium and Roche Caiman on November 8 and 9, with the participation of all schools that had successfully implemented the program throughout the year. In a bid to foster friendships, a 3x3 tournament featuring mixed teams was organized for secondary school students.
On both days of the Festival, healthy snacks and juices were provided, emphasizing the key messaging of the program.
A highlight of this year's festivities was the inauguration of a newly refurbished basketball community court in Roche Caiman, an administrative district in Mahe. As part of the launch, fun Mini Basketball activities for primary school children were held, alongside educational and creative activities like a quiz and team photo contest.
FIBA Foundation President Hamane Niang officially handed the court over to the local community: “Children, this is your playground. We hope you use it, and we hope you take care of it. It is here to stay. Play as much as you like. Stay active, stay healthy.”
A total of 250 students and teachers from 22 primary and secondary schools of the Seychelles came together to celebrate the grand final of the 3-year program. All schools sent an equal number of male and female students in a pursuit of gender equity.
Seychelles Minister of Youth, Family & Sport Marie Zialor, Seychelles Minister of Education Justin Valentin, FIBA Foundation President Hamane Niang, Basketball For Good Advisory Committee Chairman H.H. Shaikh Isa Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Deputy CEO of Al Salam Bank Anwar Mohammed Murad, and newly appointed Seychelles Basketball Federation President Norman De Silva were also among the special attendees.
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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.
FIBA