MIES (Switzerland) – In a milestone year for FIBA Foundation, every region this summer hosted Basketball For Good initiatives, marking a historic first.
FIBA Continentals Making a Difference Beyond the Court
Across Africa, Americas, Asia, and Europe, the regional competitions underlined their commitment to elevating the social impact and legacy of the FIBA Events, beyond regular on-court action.
The diversity and spread of the Basketball For Good initiatives ensured that the power of basketball to initiate a positive change truly reached every corner of the globe, with universal yet targeted interventions empowering local communities.
Africa Champions Peace
In Africa, at the Women’s AfroBasket in Côte d'Ivoire, the message was all about women's empowerment and peace. 50 young girls aged 8 to 12 got the chance to witness their role models up close and envision a future for themselves within the sport. This initiative was hosted in collaboration with international non-profit Peace and Sport.
A Big Step Forward in the Americas
At the Women’s AmeriCup, Chile hosted not just a Mini Basketball Clinic for local children, but also a session for youth with intellectual disabilities in collaboration with Special Olympics. To make this experience even more memorable for the participants, players for the national teams took part in these initiatives.
Not to be outdone, a couple of months later, during the FIBA AmeriCup, the first-ever Basketball For Good Facilitator workshop was held. Under this program, 10 instructors from across eight South American countries were introduced to a newly created Basketball For Good Playbook that combines play-based activities with vital United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) messaging.
Inclusion at the heart of Asia
As hosts of the Women’s and Men’s Asia Cups, China and Saudi Arabia championed critical causes of their own.
In Shenzhen, FIBA Hall of Famers Miao Lijie and Yuko Oga, and FIBA Foundation Youth Leader Shao Ting, led from the front in inspiring the next generation of girls to follow in their footsteps. This was close on the heels of an earlier session dedicated to children with intellectual disabilities, supported by Special Olympics and Molten.
Like China, Saudi Arabia too saw Basketball For Inclusion and girls’ clinics, the latter showcasing the growing momentum of women’s basketball in the Middle East, reflecting FIBA’s strategic priority of “Women in Basketball.” Both sessions were graced by FIBA Asia Cup Ambassadors Sam Daghlas and Ali Al Maghrabi, joined by several members of the Saudi National Team.
Europe Goes the Extra Mile
Finally came Europe, which saw both the widest and deepest Basketball For Good integrations, across both men and women's competitions.
As one of the hosts of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025, the Hellenic Basketball Federation ran inspired awareness campaigns on sustainability through recycling, and the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence. In addition, the Federation embraced inclusivity by partnering with FIBA Foundation to organize an on-court session for youth with intellectual disabilities.
The FIBA EuroBasket 2025 had co-hosts Finland and Latvia rise to the occasion with high-visibility actions championing Basketball for Inclusion. This event was marked by a collaboration between the FIBA Foundation and Special Olympics, which jointly ran impactful activities such as Europe's first "Unified Basketball Camp" and half-time takeovers.
In addition to the senior events, the FIBA Youth EuroBaskets also reverberated with Basketball For Good actions spanning social inclusion, mental health, environment and empowerment.
Continuing the Momentum
While the Foundation’s initial programs have already created meaningful social impact, FIBA Foundation will continue developing both existing and new initiatives in future competition calendars, including the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup 2026, to promote inclusion, community engagement, and positive change through basketball.
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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.