Samoa host Jamboree in partnership with Red Cross, Samoa Health and Samoa Police

APIA - (Samoa) – The Samoan National Basketball Association (SNBA) held their Mini Basketball Jamboree on Thursday January 20^th at the Gym2 facility in Apia.

It’s the second year that the SNBA have conducted the Jamboree aimed at U10 – U14 youth players from the various communities and clubs throughout Samoa. The initiative, supported by FIBA’s Foundation following the SNBA’s participation in the Mini Basketball Seminars in 2021, included presentations by the Red Cross, Samoa health department and Samoa Police department.  These were aimed at providing the young athletes with knowledge on basic first aid, the importance of healthy eating and exercise and important safety messaging.

“It is important that we share these messages with the young children and to provide basketball education at the same time means the participants are more engaged” commented SNBA president Tala Pauga.

Thanks to its collaboration with Molten, the FIBA Foundation was able to send basketballs to help grow the impact of the activities.

The Jamboree included 1 day of competitions in the U10, U12 and U14 age groups and follows community clinics and visits by the SNBA coaches. The community clinics were conducted in the weeks leading up to the Jamboree and included coaching clinics, referee clinics and clinics for the youth.

SNBA were an eager participant in the Mini Basketball Seminars held in 2021 and are focused on developing grassroots basketball to promote basketball activity in the country.

“SNBA have been a great partner for FIBA in recent years in the Mini Basketball space. SNBA have attended the Mini Basketball Convention in 2019 held in Echuca and took part in our webinars in 2021. It is great to see them implementing the programs in country now” shared Oceania Executive Director David Crocker.

About Mini Basketball:

The FIBA Foundation’s Mini Basketball program is a global Basketball For Good initiative to improve health and well-being of 5-12 year old children and to fight physical inactivity and childhood obesity. It is an inclusive grassroots basketball movement addressed to girls and boys and their parents and uses fun & game based learning. Please contact us if you want to know more about our programs or if you are interested to work with us.