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NEW YORK: A document drawn up by Canadian James Naismith detailing the original rules of basketball has been sold at auction for 4.3 million US dollars.
The historic document, which was typed on paper but also contained handwritten notes, was sold by the auction house giant Sotheby's on Friday.
Naismith, who was born in Almonte, Canada wrote the 13 rules nearly 119 years ago. He invented the sport of basketball as a winter activity for his students at the YMCA.
Money from the proceeds of the sale will go to the Naismith International Basketball Foundation which provides services to underprivileged youths around the world.
Naismith moved to the USA at age 29 to takes a job as a physical education teacher. He was working at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts when he penned the original basketball rule book.
He is a member of the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, and the FIBA Hall of Fame.
He lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official sport at the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin. Three years later Naismith died at age 78.
