November 2, 2005

Middle East basketball champs visit Purdue to pursue peace in sports

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The West Asia championship junior national basketball team from Lebanon is visiting Purdue and other Indiana universities to learn how sports can be a part of the peacemaking process.

Two coaches and 12 players, ages 17-18, will be at Purdue Nov. 6-10. During their stay they will attend college and professional basketball games, meet the governor of Indiana, participate in leadership training at Purdue, tolerance training at the University of Notre Dame and sportsmanship training at the NCAA. The visit is part of USPORT, Unity Through Sports, an Indiana-based sports diplomacy program sponsored by the United States Department of State.

"Their visit is partially an award for winning the West Asia Basketball Championship by beating all other national basketball teams in the Middle East," said Donald W. Mitchell, a professor of comparative religions who is an expert in interfaith religions. "These teenagers are from a region that is marred by violence, and it is important their positive involvement in sports with leadership and tolerance is reinforced. During their visit to Purdue, Notre Dame and Indiana universities, the players and coaches will learn more about tolerance and leadership, and of course, American basketball."

Later in the month, the team will play the winner of the East Asia Championship for the All Asia title.

The team arrived at Indiana University Oct. 29, and during the players and coaches' stay in Bloomington they will work on their basketball skills. The team will attend the Purdue Men's basketball game on Nov. 6 and watch the Chicago Bulls play the San Antonio Spurs Nov. 7. They will meet Chicago Mayor Richard Daley before the game. On Nov. 8 the players and coaches also will participate in leadership training, and Nov. 9 they will attend seminars on tolerance at the University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute. The morning of Nov. 10 the players and coaches will meet Gov. Mitch Daniels at the Indiana Statehouse, and then attend a sportsmanship program at the NCAA.

Unity Through Sports is a program of the Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange, a partnership among Purdue, Indiana and Notre Dame. Mitchell is director of the Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange, which works to improve understanding and cooperation between the U.S. and Muslim worlds. The CCRP (Center for Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding) in Beirut, Lebanon, also is sponsoring the visit.

In July, 10 basketball, soccer and volleyball coaches from the Osh region of Kyrgyzstan, which also is known as Kyrgyz Republic, participated in the Unity Through Sports program.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Donald Mitchell, (765) 494-4281, dmitch@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Journalists are invited to interview the players and coaches Nov. 6 at the Purdue men's basketball game that afternoon or at a welcome dinner that evening. For information, contact Amy Patterson Neubert at (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu.

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