On June 7, 2024, in Colombo, Former NBA and WNBA players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye are the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, and they will be warmly received by the U.S. Embassy in Colombo from June 8 through June 14. Launched in partnership with IImpact Hoop Lab and the Foundation of Goodness, the week-long hoops event aims to harness the unifying power of sports. It is being organized by the U.S. Embassy’s Public Diplomacy division.
A week-long program called Hoops for Hope
Bridging Borders through Basketball will be led by retired professional basketball players Mr. Howard and Ms. Ndiaye when they are in Sri Lanka. The Sports Envoys will conduct basketball clinics, exhibition games, and leadership workshops for young people from Northern, Uva, Eastern, and Western Provinces who are 14 to 18 years old in Colombo and the Southern Province. They will provide these youngsters with leadership and skill development opportunities both on and off the court. To promote the growth of basketball in the nation, the U.S. Envoys will also impart their knowledge to the national coaches, players, and the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation. In addition to the clinics, they will work with youngsters from Sri Lanka to engage in a community service initiative in the Colombo region.
According to U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung,
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka.” “Communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusivity, and conflict resolution are critical skills for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace, and these are the lessons that our Sports Envoys will impart. The U.S. Athletics Envoy initiative demonstrates our conviction that athletics can play a significant role in fostering harmony and peace.
Concerning Astou Ndiaye:
Astou Ndiaye is an American assistant coach at Utah State University who has played professional women’s basketball. Ndiaye-Diatta, a two-time First Team All-American of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), spent five seasons as a player for the Detroit Shock, where she won the 2003 WNBA Championship. In addition, she performed professionally in Italy and France and for the Seattle Storm, Houston Comets, and Indiana Fever. She is the creator of the nonprofit organization Astou Ndiaye Foundation (ASTOUNDIAYEF), which promotes African girls’ mental and physical health, education, and participation in sports. The reel of Ms. Ndiaye can be accessed at this link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C75lo7WOG0S/?igsh=MTA0eTBqNTZvNjBtZg==
Concerning Stephen Howard:
NBA veteran Stephen Howard works as a basketball analyst for ESPN and FOX Sports and is also a leadership expert. He was a four-year NBA player for the Seattle Supersonics, San Antonio Spurs, and Utah Jazz. He was a member of the Jazz team that faced Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the NBA Finals in 1996–1997. These days, Howard travels the world giving people and businesses techniques to improve profitability, productivity, and performance. Link to the reel for Mr. Howard:
