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Morocco’s Basketball Federation Inks Agreement with Israeli Peer
June 14, 2022
Rabat - A framework cooperation agreement was signed on Tuesday in Rabat between the Royal Moroccan Federation of Basketball (FRMBB) and the Israeli Association of the same sport (IBBA), aiming at the development of sports and technical exchanges.
The signing ceremony of this agreement was chaired by Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports Chakib Benmoussa, in the presence of the Advisor to HM the King Andre Azoulay, and the head of the Israeli liaison office, David Govrin.
A number of members of the FRMBB Board of Directors were also present at this ceremony, in addition to International Basketball Federation (FIBA) President Hamane Niang, and members of the Israeli delegation.
This partnership agreement, signed by FRMBB President Mustapha Aourach and IBBA President Amiram Halevy, comes in a framework in which the Moroccan federation is opening on its international environment and strengthening the role of sports diplomacy.
It also promotes the exchange of experiences between the two parties, especially since the Israeli association is a pioneer in coaching, training and financial management.
Speaking on this occasion, Benmoussa said that this convention "is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords and is in line with the willingness of both countries to build the future in the context of a multidimensional cooperation."
"Sport is an important sector for our people, insofar as it is a factor of development and well-being," he said, noting that it is also a vehicle for social inclusion, living together and dissemination of values of respect and tolerance.
After recalling the special place that sport occupies in strengthening cooperation between the two countries, the Minister said that the signing of this agreement is part of the project named "Basketball, together for hope".
According to the minister, the agreement provides for the organization of meetings in Morocco and Israel, the exchange of experience and expertise, training of supervisors and referees, in addition to coordination between the two federations at the level of international and regional bodies.
After inviting the two federations to translate this convention into a concrete action plan through a focus on women's basketball, youth or training of supervisors, he reaffirmed the commitment of the Ministry to support the implementation of this convention and activities arising from it.
For his part, Aourach said that the FRMBB wants to give the national basketball an international dimension, relying on the Royal High Directions.
He highlighted, in this sense, the joint declaration between Morocco and Israel (December 2020), noting that the signing of this agreement will establish a framework for a partnership based on the exchange of expertise and joint work on training projects and the creation of schools and an academy for the training of youth.
For his part, Halevy said that basketball is an essential tool to promote human, sports and cultural relations between the two countries, adding that this initiative will allow to organize tournaments in both countries.
Noting that the Israeli basketball is very developed and that Morocco could benefit from this experience, he said that this partnership will be an opportunity to strengthen all aspects related to the training of coaches, judges and bilateral cooperation.
As for the president of FIBA, he said that the 2019-2023 mandate of the international body puts special emphasis on the place of women in basketball, noting that it is no coincidence that an exhibition game will be held, on the sidelines of the signing of this agreement, between the women's national teams of Morocco and Israel.
"This is a memorable day for the development and promotion of the orange ball," he said, noting that sport is a vehicle for communication, union, brotherhood and development. FIBA is convinced that this discipline can serve as a tool for bringing people together, he added.
This partnership agreement revolves around several axes, including collaboration and exchange of delegations, the organization between the Moroccan and Israeli federations of tournaments and friendly matches between regional teams and national professional and amateur of all ages and all levels, in addition to the women's and men's selections.
It is also about the mutual participation of representatives of both countries in sports events and / or traditional festivals, the participation of Moroccan coaches in training courses in Israel and the organization of training courses, training and certification by coaches and experts from both countries.
The agreement also provides for an annual meeting between the basketball teams of Israel and Morocco, which will include an educational and socio-cultural program in Morocco and Israel, collaboration and exchange of the latest technologies to improve the performance of athletes, teams and infrastructure.
This historic partnership between the Moroccan and Israeli basketball federations will be concluded by the organization of a friendly match between the women's teams of Morocco and Israel, Wednesday at the indoor hall of the Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex in Rabat.
This meeting is part of the preparations of the Moroccan women's selection for the upcoming Arab and African events.