December 21, (THEWILL) – The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is celebrating the first official World Basketball Day on Thursday, December 21, marking a historic milestone as basketball becomes the first team sport to receive this global recognition and prestigious honour from the United Nations.
As a result of the UN General Assembly session held in August 2023, a resolution was adopted to establish the inaugural World Basketball Day on the 21st of December – the exact date on which the sport was invented in 1891 by Dr James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. There could be no more fitting date to celebrate the creation of the beloved sport.
Secretary General of FIBA, Andreas Zagklis, commented proudly on basketball being the first team sport to be granted its own international day of recognition, saying it was “a clear demonstration and endorsement of the tremendous societal benefits it delivers”. Meanwhile, UN Director-General, Tatiana Valovaya, highlighted the sport’s “remarkable” ability to unite people across cultures.
To honour the newly created World Basketball Day, FIBA has organised several celebratory events and activations, including hosting dignitaries from various UN agencies at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Geneva. The FIBA Foundation is also using the day to announce an annual photography competition on the theme, ‘Basketball for Good’.
National basketball federations around the world have been invited by FIBA to join in the celebrations and mark this historic milestone for their cherished sport. Together, the global basketball community will make sure the first-ever World Basketball Day is one to remember. As Dr Naismith himself said in his original rules for the sport back in 1891, “Let the ball be tossed…and the goals count!”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
