MAHÉ (Seychelles) – Seychelles’ flagship Basketball For Good program — Hoops 4 Health (H4H) — has entered its decisive third year.

The three-year Seychelles program which was launched in May 2022, is being funded by the local branch of Bahrain’s Al Salam Bank.

Three-Day Workshop for PE Teachers

Like in the previous years, a three-day workshop was held between May 16 to 18, attended by 10 Youth Leaders and 27 PE teachers, from the three main islands of Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue.

The PE teachers, belonging to primary and secondary schools, were introduced to the new Hoops 4 Health and Wellbeing Playbook, which comprises 15 basketball games that teach about healthy and active lifestyles as well as emotional wellbeing.

The workshop consisted of both theoretical and practical sessions, with the added participation of local coaches enabling the program’s dissemination to a wider stakeholder base.

The Youth Leaders supported the PE teachers to plan the in-school program implementation and the upcoming Basketball For Good Festival in November.

Mr Raph Jean Louis, Personal Secretary for Youth and Sport and Mrs. Marie-Celine Zialor, Minister for Youth, Sports & Family graced the occasion, while Darren Anderson from Forward Pivot, Australia facilitated the demonstration of games.

Future Outlook: After-School Sessions & Court Refurbishment

Teachers will now be expected to implement Hoops 4 Health within their respective schools. Assisted by Youth Leaders, the goal will be to educate students about the need to maintain healthy lifestyles in order to combat the high incidence of NCDs in the region.

November’s Basketball For Good festival will celebrate the learnings from this program. The festival will feature mixed-gender teams playing 3x3 competitions and cultural events. There will also be the  inauguration of a refurbished basketball court to leave a tangible legacy in the Seychelles and offering the youth further opportunities to play the game.

A new component this year is the after-school Hoops 4 Health sessions, allowing more opportunities for the children and youth to play, and to increase grassroots basketball participation.

After the festival, the program will be handed over by FIBA Foundation to local stakeholders to ensure its sustainability and continuous impact creation.

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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