Next Big Pivot (NBP) is pleased to announce that the organization tips off and takes the lead of a special project in Japan towards World Basketball Day (WBD) that was designated by UN on August 25, 2023, to raise awareness of the UN day as well as to drive “Basketball for Good” movement in Japan.
World Basketball Day is a celebration of the power of basketball, which is played by 450 million people in 213 countries and has numerous passionate fans all over the world, to change society for a better future. December 21 was chosen as the date to celebrate World Basketball Day, commemorating the first time the sport was played. This designation, announced at last year’s FIBA World Cup, made basketball the first team sport to have a UN-recognized celebration day.
Responding to these situations around the world, while basketball has been gaining unparalleled popularity in Japan, NBP has stepped up to launch this initiative in Japan to advocate the global influence of basketball and to demonstrate the power of basketball for social good, engaging more basketball fans and people.
To this end, NBP is delivering projects and events under the following three pillars;
- Disseminating “Basketball for Good” information and articles on the newly-launching online media “GlobasketUnited”
- Organizing seminars and events to raise awareness (Online/ Off-line)
- Basketball events to promote international understanding
This inaugural WBD initiative in Japan will be delivered in collaboration with the author of “How Basketball Can Save the World” that is the foundation of the WBD and with major stakeholders of global basketball, while NBP will integrate and manage whole the projects with its Operations Committee, to get connected with global basketball in order to expand the movement in Japan.
For the first year towards December 21, NBP will be organizing the following three events;
- Online article series on “GlobasketUnited” media featuring basketball countries
- Visiting basketball countries to interview how popular basketball is in their countries and discuss the power of basketball for good.
- World Basketball Day 30 Days-to-Go Webinar on November 22 (starting 20:00)
- Speakers include: World Basketball Day advocator Professor Hollander, FIBA Foundation, PeacePlayersInternational
Registration URL：
- International Basketball Event in early December (Closed Event)
Details of each event to be published at a later date.
NBP Founder and Representative Director Mie Kajikawa (FIBA Foundation 2023-2027 term Advisory Committee Member) commented on the launch of the WBD initiative in Japan:
“The designation of UN World Basketball Day past year was an epoch-making event for global basketball, and it will just realize the mission of NBP. We are grateful that NBP can launch this initiative at a best timing when popularity of basketball shows a historical boost. We promise to keep driving “Basketball for Good” movement in Japan in order to advocate for the global influence of basketball and potential of the power of basketball for social change, while engaging more people who loves the sport.”
＊About Next Big Pivot
Next Big Pivot is established on the occasion of historical integration of Japanese basketball in 2015, to contribute to development of Japanese basketball and to demonstrate ways of harnessing the power of the sport. NBP has delivered various project under the three pillars of Women – Social – Global, empowering women in Japanese sports business, driving basketball for good, and accelerating globalization and upgrading Japanese basketball, in collaboration with global and Japanese major basketball organizations.
Since the designation of the World Basketball Day in 2023, the organization initiated the activities in Japan to raise awareness of World Basketball Day, and will focus on driving the initiative as its flagship project.
Credit: (ISH) Next Big Pivot
Founded: December 2015
Founder: Mie Kajikawa (Representative Director)
Official Website：https://nextbigpivot.org/
Inquiries: Please fill in the form on the official website.
