President of Basketball Africa League (BAL), Amadou Gallo Fall, has called on basketball teams in Africa to build value around the emerging talents in their ranks rather than for the sole purpose of trading them off to more developed leagues abroad with the aim of profit-making.
Such has been common practice across different sports in Africa which has left the continent lacking local talent that it can proudly call its own.
Fall wants such a narrative to change and he believes it is possible with the right environment.
“Africa needs to make sure that we don’t only export talent, but we should also build valid value around our talent,” the Senegalese told BBC Sport Africa. “It’s just a question of bringing the expertise and creating the environment.
“Teams in general are working hard to get organised. To position themselves to have a chance to win their local championship and qualify for the Basketball Africa League.
”We believe in basketball in Africa.
“This is why we’ve been involved here for many decades. We focused on making sure that we lay the foundation, we put in the first basic elements that you need for long-term sustainability.
“That is how to make the game accessible, for you to have more young boys and girls who will be bouncing the ball, getting interested in playing basketball.
“The talent is here in Africa.”
First day at the office for @as_douanes!
Welcome to BAL Season 3!!! ????#TheBAL pic.twitter.com/4iP8DXOue4— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) March 7, 2023
The BAL 2023 tournament, now in its third year, tips off in Dakar on Saturday when AS Douanes of Senegal battle Ivorian side ABC Fighters at the Daka Arena in the Sahara Conference.
On Sunday, March 12, Nigeria’s representative, Kwara Falcons, will face Rwandan giants REG. Likewise, defending champions US Monastir of Tunisia, who saw off Angolan side Petro de Luanda 83-72 in the 2022 final, will then begin their title defense against Mali’s Stade Malien.
The Nile Conference games will commence on April 26 with Egyptian outfit Al Ahly taking on Ferroviario da Beira of Mozambique with all the games taking place at the Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo.
