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Basketball meeting in Portugal

The most occidental point on a Europe in reconstruction is living an economic and social crisis that is profoundly affecting all the sports, with basketball suffering the most in this regard.

Portugal, 2012.

The state of this sport is clearly showed by the poor visibility of all the people involved in this sporting discipline on the media. Just one game on cable tv (none in public), teams fighting every month to create funds to pay players, travelling and support all the staff surrounding the club, etc.

It’s becoming a tough MATCH UP for the federation but mostly and essentially for the people who love and work for this sport to get revenues or just create a well-balanced structure for the next generation to be motivated to play and elevate the country on intern and also European levels because talent is there. (See at least the last classifications of Portugal in junior competitions at women’s level).

With all of this being said it was time for something to be created or at least tried, to increase and reformulate the basketball system in this country.

A group of recognized coaches (not just in the country but in the FIBA world), future talented coaches, directors, players and persons that were related all of their life to the game of basketball started a tremendous initiative which was called MATCH UP.

Mario Gomes, the eternal Mario Palma Assistant Coach who led Jordan to an Olympic event. Currently works with the Portuguese national team.

Carlos Barroca, a well known announcer for the NBA in Portugal. Face of the best league in the world not just in Portugal but everywhere working for the NBA Cares. Coached top teams in the country like FC Porto, extinct Portugal Telecom, etc.

And other inevitable names in the Portuguese basketball like Olimpio Coelho, Paulo Neta, Rui Gomes or “the new wave” of coaches like Diogo Gomes, Diogo Perdigão and Rui Costa.

MATCH UP, was created to find a “new road”.
This will be a space to construct, adapt, correspond, but specially coincide for a fresh new start of basketball in a country passionate of soccer. It’s a most-needed MATCH UP for this sport.

It’s a meeting about basketball open to all the citizens who want to attend to discuss at least two main topics:

–          The importance of a professional league (LPB) for the progress of the sport.

–          The importance of the formation of youth players for basketball in the country.

–          Other subjects regarding internal competitions, youth development, national leagues.

 

This event will happen on December 29th in Coimbra, Portugal.
You can contribute with ideas from your personal experiences in your country system to matchup2012@gmail.com

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