Cancer Awareness took center-stage during Belgium Basketball’s historic Olympic Qualifying Campaign

ANTWERP (Belgium) – Earlier this month, as hosts of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT), Belgium managed two big wins.

Not only did the Cats punch their tickets to Paris, but Belgium Basketball also used the high stakes event to amplify vital Basketball For Good messaging.

Thanks to its partnership with Foundation Against Cancer, the WOQT witnessed the power of basketball to initiate a positive change, towards cancer awareness and mitigation.

Belgium-based Foundation Against Cancer (FAC) is commemorating its 100th anniversary this year, and the organization is using the star power of the country’s national team players to highlight the continued prevalence of the disease in the region.

75000 Cancer Cases

“Almost one in three men and one in four women will get cancer before the age of 75 in Belgium. And those figures are rising year after year. There are almost 75,000 new cases a year,” Prof. Eric Van Cutsem, co-president Foundation against Cancer (FAC) told FIBA Foundation.

With footfalls in the range of 30,000, the WOQT was the perfect backdrop to initiate numerous Basketball For Good actions ranging from ‘Cancer Awareness’ t-shirt sales, branded time-outs  showing relevant TV commercials, and an information booth.

1000 t-shirts were produced, and after distributing some to the four participating teams, the remainder were sold via Belgium Basketball’s Fanshop and website. The sale proceeds went to FAC, and additionally fans could also scan QR Codes to make direct 5 EUR donations.

Year-long activities planned

The WOQT activation was just the first step in a year-long association. Later this June, as the Belgium Cats gear up for only their second-ever appearance in the Olympics, other cancer-related activities have been planned — including more in-depth content with squad members, hospital visits and an interaction with members of ‘Team Hope,' a group of cancer treatment specialists.

Laudably, this isn't the first time that Belgium Basketball is leveraging the reach and popularity of its players for the greater good. The Cats had earlier also teamed up with SOS Children’s Village, an entity deploying urgent support to conflict-affected children and families.

“As athletes, we have the chance to bring awareness to different social aspects. When the Foundation Against Cancer came to us to ask if we wanted to support them, it was a no brainer. Because everybody in the world knows somebody in their family or friends group with cancer,” said Cats’ veteran small forward Antonia Delaere.

Tellingly, the Cats’ Head Coach and assistant coaches have had to deal with cancer within their close family.

‘Hope To Victory’

And it wasn’t just the Belgium contingent alone which could relate with the anti-cancer clarion calls. Nigeria's Sarah Ogoke had dedicated D’Tigress’s Olympics sealing win over Senegal, to her cancer-battling father.

"If you don't know somebody that has cancer, then you know somebody who knows somebody that has cancer, so kudos to the Belgium Federation for raising awareness,” Ogoke told FIBA.basketball during the WOQT.

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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