Envoys shoot hoops to give hope

Basketball enthusiasts in the London diplomatic corps are to stage their own charity tournament this June and at the same time raise funds for the Capital’s inner city children.

The competition is the brainchild of the Ambassadors of Austria and Bosnia Herzegovina, who served in Bucharest at the same time where they launched a popular basketball championship.

The pair joined forces in a multinational team called the ‘Global Shooting Stars’. Although they did not win the tournament, they were everyone’s favourites, including the Romanian Foreign Minister, who awarded the team a special ‘Global Friendship Award’.

The London league will be staged in cooperation with Greenhouse Sports, a local charity that uses sport to help inner city children get off the streets and realise their full potential.

“A diplomatic basketball league is a fantastic way to meet colleagues and let off steam. By supporting Greenhouse Sports we will be giving something back to our host city,” said Austrian Ambassador Martin Eichtinger, who back in the day played in the Austrian National Basketball league.

Those embassies from basketball playing nations are encouraged to field full teams of eight to 12 players, while individual diplomats from smaller missions will be able to join multinational teams.

The tournament is inclusive and it is recommended that each team will include at least two female players. Each team will be allowed only one player who does not serve in the diplomatic community.

A maximum of eight teams can enter the tournament which will be on a first come first serve basis – so sign up now!

To sign up for the Diplomatic Basketball League, email
editor@embassymagazine.com with Basketball in the subject line

The Global Shooting Stars with the Ambassadors of Bosnia Herzegovina and Austria (third and fourth from left)