IRIBF continues mission to be socially active during COVID-19 situation

TEHRAN (Iran) - In times of crisis as we have been experiencing during the COVID-19 situation, it is as important as ever for communities to stay united and help each other out. The Iran Basketball Federation (IRIBF) has always been socially active and are continuing to do so during this COVID-19 situation.

IRIBF has been reaching out to help others in the society from the homeless and the medical staff as well as simply keeping the basketball community active during these times.

Through the “Basketball Benefactors and Veterans” group, which is formed within the body of IRIBF, there have been activities held focusing on providing sanitary and healthy homemade food for the homeless. Ali Shakouri, head of veteran and emeritus committee and member of the board of IRIBF, said that these homeless people would normally receive some benefactions or handouts from restaurants or benefactors. Still, the current situation has made these activities difficult to continue.

Therefore, the IRIBF has been voluntarily distributing 100 to 300 meals (twice per day) for the homeless and needy since March 30, and this activity will continue with no expectation to stop for as long as possible.

Besides lending a helping had to the needy, the IRIBF has also been actively catering to the various members of the basketball community through online campaigns, workshops, clinics, and webinars.  The IRIBF social media campaigns have varied from stay-at-home activities, dribbling videos from players, contests, interviews, and educational courses. It has also extended to live talks and video footage from referees and statisticians like Atena Taheri and Sina Talebian. They also work in the frontline as doctors or medical staff, which provide useful and necessary information about the difficult situation.

Other members of the IRIBF family have personally put in their own helping hand in these times. IRIBF has always encouraged players and other members of the community to be socially active, and they have continued to respond positively to that calling.

Hamed Sohrab Nejad, a prestigious member of the men’s national team, volunteered to gather and send two containers of medical equipment such as scrubs, masks, gloves, and even wheelchairs to Towhid Hospital in Sanandaj, Kurdistan District. 

Mohammadreza Salehian, a FIBA referee who owned and ran a coffee shop which was closed due to the pandemic, started serving free coffee and cookies to the medical staff.

IRIBF has always been eager to respond to these crises within the country, such as the floods in Sistan and Balouchestan and the earthquake in Kermanshah.

“By improving our social activities, we promote both our basketball and the society,” said Masoud Ammari, Secretary General of IRIBF. “We hope we cannot only be motivators for our people to love basketball, but also act as a pioneer federation in helping the society so that other federations would follow. This can improve the popularity of sports, especially basketball, among people and leave a greater impact compared to any other promotional activity.”

“Unfortunately, numerous national crises were suffered by many Iranian last years, but we showed that as a team, we support each other. The flood in Sistan and Balouchestan or the earthquake in Kermanshah are all examples that not only our legends and players but also the  national federation personnel are willing to get involved and help send their financial and non-financial support down to their compatriots.”

“It is something in the nature of human beings and specifically, Iranian families. IRIBF is just like a big family in which we all have the responsibility to promote Iran’s basketball family.”

Through the cooperation between everyone from players to referees to the body of IRIBF, this healthy basketball family has been continuously socially active even outside these crises, such as their involvement with Raahe Aseman.

As a charity organization, Raahe Aseman supports children involved with cancer. On the day of the FIBA Basketball World Cup  2019 Trophy Tour, children of the Raahe Aseman charity were invited to the ceremony in Iran. These children took photos with national team players and legends as well as received flowers and signed basketballs from their heroes. They enjoyed the ceremony and took pictures with the prestigious Naismith trophy, while also receiving the jerseys of Hamed Haddadi, Hamed Hosseinzadeh, and Sajjad Mashayekhi.

“Considering the two major visions of FIBA Asia with the “Ball’ In Schools” program and supporting the children fighting with cancer, we have been trying to move forward in the same direction with an emphasis on these two groups,” said Dr. Ramin Ahmadi Tabatabaei, President of IRIBF. “We try to increase the penetration of basketball into people’s lives.”

“Our strategy to publicize basketball is to leave a cultural and social impact on people’s lives, especially children, as they are the most valuable resource every society owns. I believe these activities would prove that the whole basketball community is supporting the society, being there to help those in need, and this would automatically reflect back the same support for basketball from the society in different national and international basketball events. These strategies should be initiated from the national federations and proliferated then among society.”

“One of the greatest missions of the federations along with holding competitions and development programs in sports is to have a strategic key role in the social and cultural development of the society, especially through the younger generations and children,” added Farideh Shojaei, Vice President of IRIBF. “If our women’s national team is appearing strong in their first international appearance, it is because they have learned to support each other even in the days where there seemed to be no hope to go the distance and compete in international games. But they worked hard, kept each others’ spirits up, and received the same support, knowing that it is boosting them all.”

“Directing the youth’s energy and passion for compassionate movements and social activities, especially when they see other people suffer, would indirectly help not only the society but also the players themselves.”

“They learn what teamwork means. Learning this concept helps them be better basketball players, just like when they need to help their teammate who is double-teamed by two tough defenders and needs to pass the ball.”

“If others don’t help, the whole team loses the ball.”

FIBA