SUVA (Fiji) – The FIBA Foundation Youth Leadership Program is a global Basketball for Good initiative that provides youths a great opportunity to upskill and undertake various trainings and provides a platform for a better future for themselves and their various communities.

Sixteen (16) youths from around the Oceania region have been fortunate to be part of the program this year, which consists of three parts; (1) A four-weeks Virtual Session (2) A Youth Leaders Workshop and (3) In Country Projects.

Amongst them, Basketball Fiji’s Youths, Estelle Kaimamoli and Jordan Dokonivalu have been soaking in all the information and participating actively to ensure they acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to complete the program successfully.

As Basketball for Good coaches in Fiji, the duo has ensured that the sport of basketball is used as a platform to effect positive change within their communities. Where basketball sessions are used to highlight healthy food choices, a major challenge in Fiji with the increasing rate of non-communicable diseases.

The virtual session which was conducted by FIBA Oceania, included guest speakers that addressed various topics critical for the participants understanding of the program and their various roles and responsibilities. Basketball Fiji’s Basketball for Good Coordinator, William Peter was one of the guest speakers addressing the topic: “Goal Setting and Teamwork”, where he highlighted the importance of these two components in undertaking and successfully completing any task and project.

The second phase saw the participants travelling to New Zealand for a three-day camp from    19 – 23 October. This allowed them to engage and share ideas while also organizing a local Basketball for Good project that put their leadership skills into practice.

Upon returning, Estelle and Jordan have upskilled themselves in various areas from personal development, to communication skills, teamwork, goal setting, diversity and inclusion, ethical leadership, and community engagement.

They are eager to venture into the final phase of the program in undertaking their very own In-country project and through the support of the Basketball Fiji federation, the project is sure to be delivered successfully.