Let’s play some One on One!

December 16-20, 2010

Arthur Jackson, President of One-on-One ( U.S. Embassy Photo)

In conjunction with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS), the Algerian Basketball Federation, and the Algerian Embassy in the U.S., Embassy Algiers sponsored a group of six basketball coaches and players from Washington-based NGO One-on-One Basketball to conduct a basketball camp December 16-20 at the Salle de Sport in Staoueli (Algiers). Participants included approximately 120 students aged 11-14 and their coaches. This is one of three visits One-on-One will make to Algeria over the next year, with the ultimate goal of establishing a basketball academy in Algeria for junior high school students. The next two visits will occur in the spring and summer of 2011. The opening ceremony was attended by Ambassador Pearce and the Chef du Cabinet of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The members of the One on One team were extremely impressed by the energy and talent of the children and their coaches. Arthur Jackson, the President of One-on-One, noted, “An impressive improvement in the way the kids were playing in just five days of training thanks to their determination to learn.” All the coaches were thrilled with the hospitality and new friendships they found in Algiers, and are excited to come back in the spring.