Hundreds of young basketball players have developed both their sporting skills and their life skills during the inaugural Junior NBA League in Qatar and the NBA’s Her Time to Play programme at the Qatar Foundation’s Education City.

The league – hosted by the Qatar Foundation (QF), in collaboration with the NBA, and supported by the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) – has just come to a celebration-filled close.

It brought together nearly 450 girls and boys from schools and programmes across the country to learn the fundamentals and core values of basketball. Each of the schools and programmes represented one of the 30 NBA teams throughout the competition.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s Her Time to Play programme, which provides opportunities for girls and women to play basketball and pursue careers in coaching and athletic leadership, featured multiple workshops held over a series of weeks that were designed to help girls gain confidence, face challenges, and learn the values of the game, including teamwork, leadership and respect.

A highlight of the programme was a first-ever clinic held during Ladies Night at Education City Stadium, where participants could drop in to learn basketball skills on QBF half-courts set up on the world-class pitch.

Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of the Qatar Foundation, attended the conclusion of the league and the programme.

QF Recreation Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST), part of the QF Community Basketball Program, representing the New York Knicks, won the girls’ division, while the Qatar Basketball Federation, representing the Milwaukee Bucks, took first place in the boys’ division.

Among the QF Recreation QAST team was 12-year-old Mira Hajor from Lebanon. Her team beat the Utah Jazz, from BE Basketball, 55-29 in the final game, which was refereed by Alaa Soliman, a professional basketball player for the Qatar women’s national team and a FIBA-certified referee.

 “I really enjoyed it, it’s been a great experience,” Mira said.

“I’ve loved every moment with my teammates – and getting to know them better.

“I’ve created new bonds with my friends and new relationships.”

Mira also participated in the Her Time to Play programme.

“The workshops were educational – I learned a lot from them,” she explained.

“I learned how to socialise better, how to respect myself in order to respect my teammates and also about camaraderie and self-respect.”

Several of the programme workshops were led by Sylvia Fowles, two-time WNBA champion, 2017 WNBA Most Valuable Player, eight-time WNBA All-Star, and four-time Olympic gold medalist.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Qatar’s youth over the past few months, not just sharing my knowledge of the game but, more importantly, the tools I’ve learned throughout my life that have helped me become a better leader and person,” Sylvia said.

“It’s been particularly rewarding to see the young women in the Her Time to Play programme grow in confidence, and I wish them continued success in their development.”

Dana Mohammed, an 11-year-old from Jordan, is a student at Al-Andalus Primary School for Girls. Her team represented the Toronto Raptors, who came in third in the tournament.

“My team worked very hard to achieve their goal,” Dana said.

“The Her Time to Play workshops were really fun. I really liked attending them. We learned about being confident and not being shy.”

Adam Rickwood, the Director of Coaching at Evolution Sports Qatar, which entered both a boys’ and a girls’ team, said: “Our players really enjoyed being identified as the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.

“They’ve loved the competition and coming up against the other NBA teams in what have turned out to be some very close and competitive games.

“From the initial draft to the atmosphere created during the games, from the progressive structure of the league to the playoffs format, the whole experience has been very enjoyable for everyone.

“We’d absolutely compete in something like this again. The more tournaments that we can have like this, the better it is for the players – and the better it will then become for Qatar as a nation with more talented players coming through. And this will no doubt help raise the profile of the game.”

The collaboration with the NBA dovetails with QF’s commitment to support QBF in the leadup to the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

It also serves to further national objectives to create pipelines, pathways, and quality programmes for youth, specifically girls, in a priority sport to cultivate the country’s sporting talent.

The programme will start again at the beginning of 2025.

GO: Visit www.qf.org.qa for more information.