U17 teams lend a hand in displaying commitment to the environment
ZARAGOZA (2016 FIBA U17 World Championships for Men and Women) - Spain's men's team and the USA's women's team at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championships for Men and Women joined a delegation consisting of F
ZARAGOZA (2016 FIBA U17 World Championships for Men and Women) - Spain's men's team and the USA's women's team at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championships for Men and Women joined a delegation consisting of FIBA and Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) officials, local authorities and representatives of the events' sponsors in carrying out an important Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity on Thursday morning - and one which perfectly exemplifies the values that the events stand for.
The group planted a tree in Zaragoza's ecological Water Park 'Luis Bunuel' and through this act, demonstrated a sense of caring for the environment, while also displaying the talent, training and solidarity that this youth basketball festival stands for. The tree will serve as a lasting memory of the first time that the two tournaments have been held jointly.
FIBA President Horacio Muratore congratulated FEB for the idea and thanked USA Basketball for taking part in the event and stressed the symbolic value of what had been done.
He stated: "This initiative stresses the importance of protecting our environment and in a similar way it reflects the way that basketball protects the health of young people."
He also gifted a commemorative badge that read 'The seeds of this tree were planted on the occasion of the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championships for Men and Women as a symbol of this generation's commitment to the environment' to Pablo Hijar, the Sports Councilman from Zaragoza Council.
Joining Muratore, Hijar and the USA's men's and Spain's women's teams for this event were: Mayor of Utebo, Miguel Dalmau; Environment Councilman from Utebo Council, Ruben Estevez; Aragones Basketball Federation President, Jose Miguel Sierra; International Affairs Director from the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), Jose Montero; Bajo Aragon Business Scope Director from CaixaBank, Raquel Baldellou; a representative of Endesa - the presenting sponsor of the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championships for Men and Women.
FIBA