First Ever Youth Nepali Basketball Players Travel to U.S. for Youth Sports Visitor Program

January 11-24, 2010

The Nepali team participated in various basketball clinics (State Dept.)

Nepali basketball team with Jason Maxiell of the Detroit Pistons (State Dept.)

"I feel that this trip was such a great opportunity for the entire team. Basketball was the main component as expected but we also learned so much more than just basketball drills. However, one thing that I especially liked was a short interaction with a group of Special Olympics players. It was simply awe-inspiring to see even people differently-abled playing well. It shows that nothing is impossible."
Neha Choudhary, participant

January 29, 2010: Fourteen Nepali youth basketball players recently traveled to the U.S. to participate in a two week Youth Sports Visitors program funded by the Office of Citizen Exchanges of the U.S. Department of State. The team consisted of six female and six male students between the ages of 13 and 15 years old, and two youth coaches.

The group represented diverse ethnic, geographic, educational and economic backgrounds. This program is designed to engage youth by highlighting the major role that basketball plays in U.S. culture, and to illustrate a spirit of cooperation by juxtaposing sports competition with building bridges of understanding between the United States and Nepal.

During their stay in the U.S., the players visited several schools and colleges to observe their academic environments and play basketball. The team watched a National Basketball Association (NBA) playoff game between the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards. There they had the opportunity to interact with Jason Maxiell of the Detroit Pistons.

The Nepali team participated in various basketball clinics to introduce players to the technical, practical and psychological skills required to be a talented player, including a Leadership through Athletics Basketball Clinic seminar, a Boys and Girls Club Basketball Camp, and a training session with Gheorghe Muresan, a former NBA player.

The team attended college level basketball games at Georgetown University, Marymount University, and Loyola University. In addition to high school visits the team visited the NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo, which showed the youth how to incorporate fitness and health into their daily routines.