Basketball For Good actions on full display during FIBA U18 Women's European Championships 2022

HERAKLION (Greece) - There was more than on-court action at play during the FIBA U18 Women's European Championships 2022  held in Heraklion, Greece between August 6 and 14.

FIBA Foundation's 'Basketball For Good' initiatives furthering the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced at the marquee continental event led by Greek FIBA Foundation Youth Leader, Mr. Zacharias Stagakis.

Specifically, SDG #13 (Climate Action) and #3 (Good Health & Well-Being) were targeted, through afforestation activities and breast cancer awareness campaigns, respectively.

Afforestation Drive

On August 13 at the Aorakia Stadium Kamil Novak, FIBA Executive Director Europe; Asterios Zois, FIBA Central Board and Basketball For Good Advisory Committee Member; Evangelos Liolios, President of the Hellenic Basketball Federation; Nikos Nikolopoulos, General Secretary of the Hellenic Basketball Federation; Dinos Sverkounos, General Director of the Hellenic Basketball Federation; Charalampos Markakis, President of the Cretan Basketball Teams Union; and Kostas Vardavas, Deputy Mayor of Sports, Circular Economy and Environment of Heraklion, planted trees on behalf of their organizations.

"Today, we took part in a social action, an afforestation. We consider that the combination of sport and societal actions is of great importance since sportsmanship entails culture," Mr. Liolios said.

Every basketball player, from the early age to adulthood, is an active citizen that daily – from the training to the game, even through interactions with spectators – should spread the message for the protection of the environment and manage waste disposal. I believe that, in this way, basketball can shape the education of tomorrow’ s citizens, Mr. Vardavas added.

 ‘Block’ Breast Cancer

Aptly, the occasion of the U18 Women's European Championship was utilized to launch breast cancer awareness campaigns.

Players from the sixteen participating teams wore warm-up t-shirts with 'Block Breast Cancer' mottos emblazoned in pink.

The Region of Crete even set up a mobile unit at the stadium entrance offering free-of-charge mammographies. Brochures containing information on breast cancer self-examination techniques and medical information was distributed to visitors.

Significantly, during the Finals, Mr. Giorgos Pitsoulis, Deputy Minister of Sports and Prevention of the Region of Crete declared the captains of all teams as ambassadors in the fight against breast cancer and exhorted them to raise awareness on this issue in their own countries.

Athletics is life. It’s health. It’s prevention. It’s a lot of different things together. The European Championship that was held in Heraklion was a unique opportunity for the national teams and athletes to become multipliers and spread the message of the prevention of breast cancer around Europe. For this reason, we have nominated the captains of teams as ambassadors of this message to disperse it all over Europe, Mr. Pitsoulis said.

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