Next Big Pivot, driving ”Basketball for Good” movement in Japan, announced World Basketball Day project this year, following the establishment of the UN day last year1, to promote the power of basketball that is globally influencial and its social value, as well as to provide more people with opportunities to utilize the power of basketball2.
After the warm-up webinar “World Basketball Day 30-Days to Go” held on November 22, Next Big Pivot organized tha inaugural “Tokyo Embassies United 2024” basketball event exclusively for Embassy officers on December 4.
In fact, on the inaugural World Basketball Day last year, a same type of event was held in New York, and Next Big Pivot tried to allign with this move, which made “Tokyo Embassies United 2024” the first basketball event in Japan for Embassy officers to enjoy basketball together in commemorating the World Basketball Day.
All the participants were Embassy officers in Tokyo, and the event plannning and operations were delivered in collaboration with students of versatile basketball team of Shiba Kokusai Junior and Senior High School, which provided their facilities, as well as with Tokyo Metropolitan Basketball Association.
This inaigural event attracted keen interest by many Embassies, including Ambassadors and their family membes, and it turned out to be a fun and meaningful one on the day, with participants from several basketball countries, includng the Philippines which led the delegation of the World Basketball Day establishment, enjoying the Free-Throw Survival Game and the special games by mixed teams where all the participants regardless of gender and background play basketball together.
After the welcome remark by Next Big Pivot Founder Mie Kajikawa, who briefly explained background of the World Basketball Day and the purpose of “Tokyo Embassies United” event, with the special rule that participants are not allowed to ask the countries other participants are from, a sophomore student of Shiba Kokusai High School basketball club took the lead to moderate the fun event, while our volunteer member assisted with live-commentating with the BGM that was arranged by their student. The event was operated in English, with games with some NBA-like plays and numeous smiles, and all the participants with diverse backgrounds, including the high school students, were able to be “united without national borders through basketball.”
The winner of the Free-throw Survival Game received a catalog of the book『How Basketball Can Save the World』autographed by the auther Professor David Hollander, the advocator of the World basketball Day, while basketball-shaped cookies were presented to the members of the winner team of the Three-point contest.
Participants celebrated this inaugural event commenting that “It was a great event to understand that basketball teaches us the value of being united, “I enjoyed every minite and every second!”, “This is a best memory of mine staying in Japan!” “I would like to participate in the next one again!”
A dunk thank you to all the participants and collaborators, and we hope to be back next year!
