The participants of the program, which will take place from Aug. 19-29, will have the opportunity to be coached by former NBA player George Mureşan, according to a statement released on Friday by the US Embassy in Ankara.
The program kicks off with a one-week sports camp in the resort town of Ören, where the students and their coaches will learn about youth leadership and inter-cultural communication while participating in sports activities. The second week takes the participants to İzmir to play exhibition games, attend the first day of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Championship, and take part in a neighborhood basketball clinic with Mureşan.
In January 2011, the same Turkish and Armenian program participants will travel to the United States to train and play basketball alongside their American counterparts. The United States has one of the most developed interscholastic sports programs in the world, with millions of young people representing their schools and competing in a variety of sports every year.
“We hope the program inspires Armenia and Turkey to support young athletes and that these kinds of sports initiatives serve as a bridge to the future for young people of both countries,” Chargé d’Affaires Doug Silliman of the US mission in Turkey said.
