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sp-Insports makes shot for Mini Basketball Programme

Published:Friday | October 16, 2015 | 6:35 PMMarc Stamp
Contributed
Ian Andrews (centre), administrative director, Institute of Sports (INSPORTS), delivers the opening remarks while children from various inner-city schools and officials look on at the launch of the INSPORTS Mini Basketball Programme, which took place at Holy Family Primary School on Thursday. INSPORTS sponsored the programme to the tune of $1.568m.

The Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) announced an investment of $1.568 million towards the development of a Mini Basketball Programme.

Mini basketball is a programme to introduce boys and girls under-12 to the rudiments of the sport and in competition they will both play on the same teams.

Speaking at a function at the Holy Family Primary school to launch the initiative on Thursday, INSPORTS administrative director, Ian Andrews, spoke of the agency's thrust at developing sports at the youth level, especially for children 12 years and under.

"We will continue to develop sports and this initiative is the way forward, to start at the grassroots level," Andrews cited.

The programme will concentrate on the parishes of St James, St Catherine and the Corporate Area (Kingston and St Andrew) and will accommodate approximately 40 primary schools, plus three strategic community-based under-12 clusters that were recently established.

Community clusters of approximately 40 under-12 youths each will be drafted from Majesty Gardens, Arnett Gardens and Rae Town.

The primary schools component of the programme will see INSPORTS personnel and other selected coaches visiting schools to conduct training sessions for students and technical workshops for Physical Education teachers.

The 2015-16 phase of the project will culminate with regional school tournaments in the three pilot parishes, after which qualified schools will meet in the national 'Champion of Champions' tournament.

Sports officer/coach, Calvin Martin, who is also the development executive at the Jamaica Amateur Basketball Association, welcomed the partnership with INSPORTS, which has come after almost two years of negotiations and planning.