DAMASCUS (FIBA Asia) - The FIBA Regional Office Asia successfully conducted a two-day Statistics and Communications workshop for the officials of the Syrian  Basketball Federation (SBF). 

The workshop was held on 20th and 21st November in Syria's capital city of Damascus. 

A team from FIBA Asia's regional office in Beirut came down to conduct the workshop that was aimed at upskilling the statistics and communications departments of SBF. 

The timing of the programme was especially significant in light of preparing the SBF's FIBA licensed statisticians for key upcoming international events, including the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers set to start in November 2019.

The growing rise in popularity of basketball in Syria, helped by the Syrian men's team progressing to the second round of the FIBA World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers, meant that a separate communications and media workshop was also held. The workshop introduced the SBF's communications department to the latest digital and social media best practices that is currently being employed worldwide by FIBA. 

“We were happy to welcome our guests from FIBA Asia's Regional Office in Beirut,” SBF President Jalal Nakrash said. "This workshop helped our staff to be more up-to-date & modernized with FIBA's best statistics and communications practices."

Reviewing the communications & media matters from the first four windows of the Asian Qualifiers was also one of the main discussion points in the workshop’s agenda.

“The last few years haven’t been easy for us, but the Regional Office in Beirut with all its departments has been very helpful in making sure that the SBF is capable of delivering the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers,” added Daniel Zo Kafel, Secretary General of the SBF. “Basketball never stopped in Syria in the last 7 years and it will never stop.”

The Syrian men's team will next be seen in action against China on 29th November, in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers.

FIBA