2024 Projects
AIA North Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia
Despite continuing instability, conflict, and religious hostility in many areas, AiA is still successfully using sports to open the door to Gospel outreach within the region. Building upon efforts funded in 2023, additional funding was provided this year to continue expanding the AiA presence within the region. In four countries where an existing AiA team exists, activities are being expanded into new areas of those countries. The 2024 funding will also help train staff and establish an AiA program in 2 additional countries within the region.
AIA Africa
The AiA program in South Africa has been hugely successful. Large crowds have participated in AiA-sponsored sporting events, and many have become Christians from relationships initiated at these events. In turn, many of these have since sought to become AiA staff or sports missionaries within their local communities or neighboring countries. This is the result of not just a sports program attractive to all ages/groups, but also an ongoing effort to initiate and build relationships, provide discipleship, and mentor believers in how to combine sports and evangelism. Funding provided this year will help to train and expand the successful South African AiA program into six additional African countries
AIA Hong Kong
Funding will help AiA conduct its first-ever Ultimate Training Camp (UTC) in communist controlled Hong Kong. The UTC will combine intense athletic training and competition, with equally intense spiritual development. Participants will be college-level, competitive athletes and coaches from both Hong Kong and mainland China. The UTC objective is that the participants will return to their campuses better prepared to be an effective Christian witness within their teams and sports.
AIA Asia
Funding will allow specialized training of participants representing AiA activities in the countries of Southeast South Asia and East Asia regions. The participants will then apply this training while interfacing with athletes and coaches at the Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok Thailand, November 2024.