BEIRUT (Lebanon) – FIBA and the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB) are working together to form a stronger foundation for basketball in the Middle East, with the commencement of the FIBA PLUS Strategic Planning Program.

The program, delivered by FIBA, is designed to assist National Federations in the development of basketball in their countries by helping them develop a sustainable strategic focus.

The FIBA PLUS Strategic Planning Program is one of the initiatives undertaken by FIBA, as part of its 2019-2023 strategy, to "Empower National Federations" to reach their full potential.

This initiative is a tailor-made program for Lebanon Basketball with the aim to put in place correct strategies for its specific needs to improve the federation's capacity to organize, professionalize and commercialize its basketball activities to ensure the game's successful development in Lebanon.

FLB President Akram Halabi said: "Basketball is more than a game and thanks to the support from FIBA, the Lebanese Basketball Federation is heading to the next level. We are looking forward to moving forward as quickly as we can. Basketball is moving and changing fast and we need to adapt and improve."

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After discussions with the FLB and its external stakeholders to better understand how the federation works, the environment in which it operates, and its goals, FIBA will first support FLB to help complete a situation analysis. This analysis will provide information for the FLB Board Members to consider when defining their future focus and developing their plan and provide necessary performance baselines and benchmarks which the federation can use to measure its future growth and progress.

Throughout the FIBA PLUS Strategic Planning Program, the Lebanese Basketball Federation will define goals, develop SMART objectives, and detailed action plans for the next 24 months. FIBA will support the FLB along the way with strong mentoring, workshops and tailored assistance. A monitoring process will also be used to re-evaluate the strategy regularly to ensure it's still right for the needs of the federation. All workshop sessions will be conducted via videoconference.

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FIBA First Vice President and FIBA Asia President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani said: "With one of the main focus areas of FIBA for the cycle of 2019-2023 the development of National Federations, the FIBA PLUS Strategic Planning Program will provide the Lebanese Basketball Federation with a high level of expertise, knowledge and practical guidance on each step of their strategic planning process. I look forward to seeing their progress in the near future."

FIBA