Hoops For All basketball brings hope to Gazan refugee children in Qatar

The camp was the brainchild of Abdulrahim Abuissa, a FIBA Foundation Youth Leader Abuissa’s AI Sports, supported by Generation Amazing Foundation, Qatar Basketball Association and FIBA Foundation’s Basketball For Good program,  conducted the nine-day camp for 135+ participants aged 7 to 14, at the the Qatar Basketball Federation Training Hall in Doha.

FIBA’s commitment to the Joint Sport Pledge

The initiative underlined FIBA’s commitment, through its Foundation, to the Joint Sport Pledge: Sport for Inclusion and Protection that calls upon stakeholders to promote access and opportunities to sport, especially for refugees and other displaced people.

“The camp integrated 50 Gaza evacuees and 80 local kids by designing training circuits across two courts and grouping children regardless of their backgrounds,” Abuissa said. Gender inclusivity was ensured through the active participation of around 40 girls, whilst regional diversity came through expatriate players from a range of countries such as Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Qatar, the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Bosnia, Pakistan and South Africa.

Through interactive lectures with expert international and local coaches, joint snack breaks that broke the ice between the Gaza evacuees and local youth, and daily contests and prizes giving everyone a chance to succeed, Hoops For All lived up to its name.  

Signed Basketballs and Hope

“One memorable moment was when children shared markers to sign basketballs for each other, Several kids mentioned that they didn’t know basketball camps like this existed, which was heartwarming to hear,” Abuissa said.  

A 12-year-old refugee from Gaza said the camp was her first chance to connect with other kids after everything she has been through. Playing basketball brought her hope, confidence, and the happiness of making friends in a caring environment.

Despite the varied challenges in organizing a camp of this nature – from financial planning, stakeholder coordination, event logistics, media and marketing – Abuissa is confident of ensuring program continuity.  

Expanding ‘Hoops For All’  

“We will continue working with the Gaza evacuees. Weekly sessions are also being planned, along with a summer camp,” Abuissa said. He highlighted the desire to expand Hoops For All, not just to other underprivileged communities evacuated to Qatar, but across the entire Gulf region, and even globally.  

Supporting Refugees through Propose A Project Program

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.  

Every year FIBA Foundation runs its ‘Propose A Project’ program to support initiatives that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through basketball. Projects benefiting refugees and displaced people is one among the five key supported categories.  

The proposal window for 2025 projects is currently open till February 28, and interested organizations are encouraged to apply here.