BEIRUT (Lebanon) - FIBA Regional Office - Asia organized a Sports Performance Specialist (SPS) program in Qatar last week.

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

"Hosting the first ever SPS program with the collaboration of FIBA Regional Office - Asia was one of our goals. We believe that science is an integral part for the development of basketball and QBF supports any program which provides useful knowledge to a variety of professionals that work in our sport," said Saadoun Al Kuwari, Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) Secretary General.

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.

This is the third SPS program organized by FIBA Regional Office - Asia, with the first ever program being hosted in Lebanon. Another program was then hosted in Palestine in late August.

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