Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A legendary American basketball team Harlem Globetrotters will visit Uzbekistan from 29 April to 4 May 2019 to popularize basketball among schoolchildren and prevent bullying among schoolchildren as part of the T.E.A.M Up at School program.

The visit of “Harlem Globetrotters” is part of a broad initiative of the Embassy of the United States of America and the Ministry of Public Education of Uzbekistan in the field of sports diplomacy and opposing bullying.

“Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States. We also intend to develop basketball in Uzbekistan, since this sport allows us to develop teamwork skills. In the United States, programs to reduce crime through the involvement of children in basketball have also been successfully implemented. I think this experience will be useful to us. With this project we also contribute to the implementation of the second of the five initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the organization of social, spiritual and educational work on the new system,” the Minister of Public Education Sherzod Shermatov said.

Harlem Globetrotters members Fatimah Lister (TNT) and Julius McClarkin (Zeus) will visit Uzbekistan and hold a series of master classes as part of the T.E.A.M Up at School program developed by the National Bullying Prevention Campaign.

The program “T.E.A.M Up at School” provides students with the tools to counter bullying. Abbreviation T.E.A.M. means to talk, empathize, ask and mobilize.

“We are honored to support our partnership with the Ministry of Public Education to create a favorable learning environment for schoolchildren. By learning to work together and resolve differences with words, not violence, the school can become a place where every child feels safe and respected,” Debbie Robinson, adviser to the US ambassador, said in her welcoming speech.

The opening ceremony of this program in Uzbekistan will be held on 29 April at school No. 211 of the city of Tashkent. As part of the Uzbekistan tour, representatives of Harlem Globetrotters will hold their presentations on anti-bullying in nine schools in Tashkent, Namangan, Andijan and Ferghana regions, attracting about 60 schools across the country. During the one and a half hour program, basketball players, through various ball tricks and humor, will explain to students and teachers how to counteract harassment. Following the master classes, participants will receive certificates from the Harlem Globetrotters team.

Also within the framework of the project, Professor Laurie Wolfe, from the United States will hold a series of workshops for school teachers and psychologists on methods of positive psychology.

The Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, created in the 1920s, demonstrates a virtuoso basketball with acrobatic and almost circus numbers, creating an unforgettable performance on the court. The Harlem Globetrotters performances are visited annually by 1.5 million people. Along with its founder, Abe Sapersten, the team is included in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The visit of the Harlem Globetrotters team was organized by the Ministry of Public Education of Uzbekistan and the US State Department.