PANAMA CITY (Panama) - The Panamanian Basketball Federation (FEPABA, for its Spanish acronym) is taking wide strides toward the development of mini basketball and are focused on bolstering the diversity of initiatives that are meant to plant the seeds of the future of Panamanian basketball. The final arrangements for the second international edition of the 2019 Copa Amistad Panamá, which will take place from June 3 to 7 in Panama City, are underway.

Copa Amistad is a motor of unity, motivation and participation of the Mini Basketball categories in Panama, which gives an international-level platform that promotes national pride, friendship and exchange between cultures, as well as entertainment activities.

“Copa Amistad has had our support edition after edition. However, this year, it’s strengthened by a great staff; men and women that maintain a commitment to strengthen Mini Basketball in all corners of Panama,” said FEPABA President Jai Peralta.

“Our nation, our basketball, is acting as a sports family. We hope that this edition, that has a lot of our continental neighbors, is a precedent that establishes that we can join forces for Mini Basketball in the Americas,” added the President.

The future of Panama’s basketball has been one of FEPABA’s objectives together with Fundación Pro Niños y Niñas del Baloncesto Panamá (Panama Basketball Girls and Boys Foundation) in the last five years. The goal of this foundation is to secure the structure, platforms and implementations at a national level to practice basketball as an alternative of living, having fun and gaining access to culture, all while being the Basketball Federation's right hand in everything related to mini categories.

“Our children dream about being big basketball stars. This won't be limited to basketball, we're having cultural exchange activities, dance and drawing competitions, and the crown jewel will be the tour of the Panama Canal installations — where they already expect our young visitors and families with open arms,” assured Julio Bermúdez, Director of Panama Basketball Girls and Boys Foundation.

Panama City is getting ready to welcome children athletes from countries like Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Costa Rica. Also convened in the activities will be athletes from each province of the Panama Republic, as well as from the Jewish-Panamanian community, turning Copa Amistad into an unprecedented event in the history of Mini Basketball — the first at an international level with approximately 500 children that represent Latin America and the world.

“For our state (Sonora), that has hosted enthusiastically the Mini Basketball Festivals, it's important to attend the event in Panama so that our Mexican children can experience basketball at these ages and according to the FIBA philosophy, where the priorities are development, coexistence and love for the game. ADEMEBA Sonora thanks FEPABA for their continuous promotion of Mini Basketball in our continent,” said to FIBA.basketball Lito Vargas, ADEMEBA President in the state of Sonora, Mexico. He also added: “In our agenda Sonora continues its efforts and we’ll have another festival waiting to count on the rest of the countries as well.”

The tournament will take place between the venues of Colegio AIP in Costa del Este, Alberto Einstein Institute, and a venue that has yet to be announced. The final and the closing ceremony will be in the colossal Roberto Durán Arena, the greatest stage for local basketball.

Costa Rica, who will participate in Copa Amistad, is another one of the countries with a strong bet on basketball from early ages. The development of Mini Basketball programs that are currently underway intent do promote, popularize and take the sport throughout the whole nation.

“Following our motto of ‘Together We Are More,’ we find, in our Panamanian siblings, the opportunity to grow together,” commented Franklin Martínez Arias, Vice-President of the Costa Rican Basketball Federation (FECOBA, for its Spanish acronym).

“Competition of the highest level is crucial for us. This tournament meets all our expectations, which is why I've recommended to all Tico coaches at some point what I consider is the key to begin a proposal to strengthen our national basketball: An inclusive and competitive evolution. We're all grateful to FEPABA for the invitation bestowed by someone who I believe is a dream builder, Mr. Julio Bermúdez. He works arduously in the foundations of Panamanian basketball,” added the Costa Rican directive.

Meanwhile, Honduras have also joined to support the construction of the Mini Basketball Festival in the 2019 Copa Amistad since February, where they transmit the vision established by the IBF, as was shared in the recent FIBA Mini Basketball Congress of the Americas, which took place in Mexico.

“FEPABA has adopted a friendly format to develop children’s sports. For us, as a country, it represents the strengthening of our sports beginnings. Right now our U-10 men’s and U-12 in both men’s and women's are the result of a Mini Basketball center installed in la Ceiba (in the northern zone of the nation), which achieved its objectives of constructing a foundation and popularizing the sport, thus reactivating the category and sharing international events with several cities,” said Carmen Cubas, of the Development and Mini Basketball Projects of the Honduras National Basketball Federation (FENABAH, for its Spanish acronym).

Mini Basketball depends on the strength of national federations, who are aware of the development of the category and make a significant effort to promote and celebrate their activities while keeping in mind their constant development. FIBA motivates countries to celebrate festivals according to their regional characteristics, so that they may be distinguished as unique and special. Each nation maintains their personality to showcase the diversity of the Mini Basketball movement throughout the world.

“Honduras are working to reciprocate and support the federations that open their doors to develop basketball and culture, and to share our love for what we do. Thanks to FEPABA for the care they have portrayed, and for motivating us to participate year after year, building a new bond of siblinghood through Mini Basketball. We practice collective effort in this discipline of the Americas,” explained Cubas.

Day after day Mini Basketball is turning into a fundamental activity to include children in sports. The Panama Basketball Boys and Girls Foundation was established in 2014 with the project of Mini del Barrio de Calle P (belonging to Sociedad Deportiva Estudiantes), a sports development program for children of a disadvantaged community in Panama. It all began with the vision of incorporating a greater number of Panamanian children in basketball, but whose environment didn't provide the facilities to do so.

“Hope lies in the foundations. Our future as a nation involved in the sport of basketball lies in the small hands of a child in the Panama neighborhoods that are hungry for basketball. Here we are for them, we're ready to grant them all the support we can so that they can reach their dreams one dribble at a time,” concluded Julio Bermúdez.

FIBA