This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) are set to host the 17th Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in Senegal from July 28 to 31, 2019.
Organized by the NBA and FIBA, in partnership with the Senegalese Basketball Federation, the event will bring together male and female players under the age of 17 from throughout Africa to learn from current and former basketball professionals.
According to the NBA Africa Managing Director Amadou Gallo Fall, grassroots basketball development remains at the core of their strategy to grow the game across Africa, and BWB remains their flagship development and community outreach initiative.
“With grassroots basketball development remaining at the core of our strategy to grow the game across Africa, BWB remains our flagship development and community outreach initiative where Africa’s most talented youth have an opportunity to develop as players and learn important life skills they will carry with them for the rest of their lives,” said Amadou Gallo Fall.
The camp will be held at the Dakar Arena in Dakar and at the NBA Academy in Saly, south of Senegal’s capital. Senegal has previously hosted the Basketball Without Borders Africa before, in 2010.
Only two other African countries have hosted the event: Angola in 2016, and South Africa, which has hosted all the other BWB Africa events since 2003.
The basketball developmental programme also has Nike as a partner, outfitting the campers and coaches with apparel and footwear.
As part of their plan to launch the Basketball Africa League, the NBA and FIBA announced in February that they will be launching a new professional basketball league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa, set to begin play next year.
“I hope that some of the participants in this BWB camp will one day play in the new jointly created Basketball Africa League and benefit from this fantastic opportunity to showcase their talents in this continental league,” said FIBA Africa Executive Director, Alphonse Bilé.
