HÀ NỘI –– A project designed to develop high school basketball was launched in a meeting on Thursday in HCM City.

It is being implemented by Việt Nam’s Ministry of Education and Training, the Việt Nam Basketball Federation (VBF), the Việt Nam Sports Administration, the Việt Nam Olympic Committee, the Việt Nam Student Association and the National Committee on Youth of Việt Nam in co-operation with the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The aim of the project is to focus on developing both the scale and quality of basketball training to meet the demands of young people. The training will focus on physical strength, form, inner spirit, skills, discipline, teamwork and morale, and will nurture a passion for sport and a healthy lifestyle. The project will seek talented young players for national basketball programmes.

The project plans to improve basketball in the country by setting standards for international-level training with content provided by the Jr. NBA, training basketball coaches, organising youth tournaments and investing in high school basketball facilities.

In phase one (2018-2020), the project will be implemented at 8,000 elementary schools and high schools across the nation.

Phase two (2020-2025) will expand the programme to between 12,000 and 15,000 schools and organise tournaments to foster passionate basketball players.

Phase three (2025-2030), the project will be deployed on a national scale to 43,000 schools in total, making basketball a major sport for students.

It will also focus on training 5,000 physical education teachers from eight cities and provinces across the nation.

Ngũ Duy Anh, Head of the Physical Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, said he hopes the support from NBA experts will have a positive impact on basketball nationwide and encourage students to start playing the sport.

“We hope the project will play a part in developing our students mentally and physically in the near future,” he said.

Lê Hoàng Anh, Head Secretary of VBF, said the aim is to turn basketball into the second most popular sport in Việt Nam while improving health and physical form amongst Vietnamese youth.

Jim Wong, Deputy Head of the Asian NBA, said the Jr. NBA co-operation programme has positively influenced thousands of Vietnamese children.

“We always try our best to elevate basketball programmes within the Vietnamese community, encouraging young people to live an active, healthy lifestyle,” he said. “Cco-operation with UNICEF is also part of this project.”

The training programme in Hồ Chí Minh City is sponsored by XLE sports and entertainment company, SSA Sports Institute, Viet Content and UNICEF. Geru Star Sports JSC is the official ball supporter. –– VNS