Basketball School rewards learners
The Basketball Artists School (BAS) in Katutura last week rewarded its learners at the annual BAS Awards Ceremony for their academic performance in 2015. Both high marks and improvements were awarded, 30 prizes were given away in total.
At the ceremony, special prizes went to Lino Nina Simao (40 points) and Jacobina Uushona (39 points) for their outstanding grade 10 results, especially considering the fact that at the same time they were tutoring the younger BAS children in English and Math throughout the whole school year.
The Awards Ceremony was also attended by celebrities, amongst them Collin Benjamin (former professional football player in Germany) and Joan Smit (Secretary General of the Namibia National Olympic Committee). Andrew Masongo, President of the Namibian Basketball Federation (NBF), encouraged the young people to be the future leaders of the country and emphasized on the importance of education for being successful.
After the Awards Ceremony, BAS inaugurated its new Streetball Court (FIBA 3×3), funded by the International Basketball Foundation (IBF) and the German Basketball Federation (DBB). FIBA 3×3 is played on one basket only, with 3 players on each team.
The new BAS court has three separate playing fields. Joachim Spaegele, Representative of DBB and supporter of BAS since the beginning, headed the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He was assisted by architect Klaus Brandt who volunteered to give professional advice to BAS, NBF Office Administrator Yyvonne Washaya, Andrew Masongo and Collin Benjamin.
BAS currently has 50 children from 11 to 17 years old. It was founded in February 2010 in collaboration of NBF and German non-profit organization ISIBINDI. In the meantime it is also supported by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of the project ‘Free Throw – Basketball Artists against HIV & AIDS’. The BAS motto is ‘Education First – Basketball Second’.
