THE Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) announced, yesterday, that it had selected their Youth and Women’s Leader, Sileena Arjune, to participate at the FIBA Adelante – Women in Basketball Programme.
The programme, which runs for six weeks, virtually, each Monday beginning May 11, is geared toward strengthening and growing the capacity of each Federation.
Sessions will be approximately two hours long. There will be an in-person meeting in Miami in the summer of 2021.
“I am of the belief that the ADELANTE programme would equip me with the requisite knowledge, skills and guidance needed to create and implement plans to culminate active male and female participation in basketball at all levels in my country.
More so, I am an avid lover of sports and I’m open-minded and interested in partaking in opportunities which can enable me to better equip myself with skills which can transcend into everyday life and projects for betterment of one’s self and community,” Arjune said in an invited comment.
Arjune further noted that “It has been an absolute pleasure to have been selected into this programme and I intend to utilize all opportunities presented to implement my project whilst garnering much needed guidance and skills to complete the programme successfully to implore the upcoming female leaders in Guyana to follow same to ensure the proliferation of male and female participation in Basketball at all levels.”
GABF’s General Secretary, Patrick Haynes, said he was pleased “to have nominated Sileena for the FIBA’s Adelante Program and the GABF has committed to support her throughout the duration of the programme as she will be our champion in promoting and growing women’s basketball for the next five years.
Sileena has been a consistent advocate for women’s development, diversity and inclusion from her early high school years. She will add value to any forum and is an excellent contributor, communicator and leader.”Topics have been selected based on the quality of speakers and a series of ‘How To’s’ that will create a solid foundation for all participants.
FIBA Americas noted that the first year will be via Zoom Meetings which provides flexibility to have elite keynote speakers.
The first speaker for this series will be New Zealand’s first female Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley. She will be speaking and highlighting how to identify true allies, using real-life problems, and how to come out of these situations successfully.
Together, with the GABF, Sileena has been identified a special project for completion during Adelante. In addition to personal education from international keynote speakers, participants will learn skills and ideas for implementing the project.
There will be quarterly phone calls and an on-going mentorship programme, with plans to have a culminating experience during the week of the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney, Australia (September – October 2, 2022) for successful participants.
Participants will spread their knowledge to future female leaders in their National Federation and the basketball community in their country.
Arjune’s project will be the incorporation of 3×3 and 5×5 basketball into the Secondary Schools’ Physical Education Curriculum, with provisions for coaches and mentors to liaison with the school’s educators to provide guidance on drills and skills and hosting of competitions by volunteering their services as officials.
With the engagement of players at a young age, this enables participation at grassroot level and can foster development throughout the high school years, allowing students to have the game of basketball transcends into their lives after school with the opportunity to play for a club, or pursue a sports-based scholarship.
With the advent of basketball being actively played at all levels, this can increase the interest of sponsors and the establishment of a female league.
