Doha, Qatar: Hundreds of young basketball players have developed both their sporting skills and their life skills during the inaugural Jr. NBA League in Qatar and the NBA’s Her Time to Play program at Qatar Foundation’s Education City, which have come to a celebration-focused close.

The league – hosted by Qatar Foundation (QF), in collaboration with the NBA, and supported by the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) – brought together nearly 450 girls and boys from schools and programs across the country to learn the fundamentals and core values of the game. Each of the schools and programs represented one of the 30 NBA teams throughout the competition.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s Her Time to Play program, which provides opportunities for girls and women to play basketball and pursue careers in coaching and athletic leadership, featured multipleworkshops 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 program was a first-ever clinic held during Ladies Night at Education City Stadium, where participants could dropin to learn basketball skills on QBF half-courts set up on the world-class pitch.

HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, attended the conclusion of the league and the program, with QF Recreation Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST), part of the QF Community Basketball Program, representing the New York Knicks, winning 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.

Speaking about the tournament, Hajor said: “I really enjoyed it, it’s been a great experience. 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.”

Hajor also participated in the Her Time to Play program and said: “The workshops were educational – I learned a lot from them. I learned how to socialize better, how to respect myself in order to respect my teammates, and also about camaraderie and self-respect.”

Several of the program 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. Speaking about her participation in the program, Fowles said: “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.

“It’s been particularly rewarding to see the young women in the Her Time to Play program 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, and she said: “My team worked very hard to achieve their goal. 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 is the Director of Coaching at Evolution Sports Qatar, which entered both a boys’ and a girls’ team, and 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 lead up to the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup. It also serves to further national objectives to create pipelines, pathways, and quality programs for youth, specifically girls, in a priority sport to cultivate the country’s sporting talent. The program will commence again at the beginning of 2025.