Sports Performance Specialist program hosted in Iraq and Singapore

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Sports Performance Specialist (SPS) programs were organized by FIBA Regional Office - Asia in Iraq from 19-20 October and Singapore from 3-6 November.

The Sports Performance Specialist Program (SPS) is the Regional Office's initiative that aims to empower local physical trainers in Asia and to promote strength and conditioning in the national teams and local clubs.

The program in Iraq was participated by 17 coaches and personal trainers, both male and female.

"The energy was overwhelming and the participants gained a great deal of knowledge," said Dr. Hussein Al Ameede, President of the Iraq Basketball Association (IBA).  "We aim to do more of these workshops in the future."

 

The objectives of the SPS program are to instruct coaches, athletes, and stakeholders regarding the strength and conditioning of the Basketball game; spread awareness through education to have better return on investments for basketball clubs and managements; have a pool of local candidates to hire qualified strength and conditioning coaches for planning and implementing programs across national teams and clubs; improve the athletic capabilities of the national teams and Clubs by building young generations with proper biomechanics/human movement; and decrease injury incidence among players.

In Singapore, the program was hosted as back-to-back courses allowing a wider reach to more participants in the country.

"Basketball specific strength and conditioning has been identified by the coaching and development team as a key missing component in the local fraternity," said Dr. Koh Koon Teck, President of Basketball Association of Singapore.

"We believe through education, coaches, physical educators and trainers would better prepare our athletes and help bring up the standard of the game. On behalf of everyone from the Basketball Association of SIngapore, we thank FIBA Regional Office - Asia for the support in helping us in our goals to achieve sporting excellence in Singapore."

"The course had a good balance of theory and practical training. It was an eye opening experience and we had a better understand on how to apply what was taught to our players,” said Hiu Guo Rong, National U14 Head Coach.

Iraq and Singapore are the two most recent countries to have hosted the SPS program organized by FIBA Regional Office - Asia, with the first ever program being hosted in Lebanon. Other programs were then later hosted in Palestine, Qatar, Maldives, Syria, and Mongolia.

The Regional Office, through this program, is aiming to lay the foundation of physical training, through education, to elevate the standard of strength and conditioning coaches in basketball.

FIBA