Friday, May 24
Al Ahly Ly vs Cape Town Tigers (5PM CAT)
Al Ahly SC vs FUS Rabat (8PM CAT)
Basketball Africa League (BAL) president Amadou Gallo Fall has announced that Friday’s opening playoffs game between Libyan side Al Ahly Ly and South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers at BK Arena is already sold out, a move he attributed to the growing impact of the competition over the past four years.
Fall announced the development on Thursday, May 23, during a press conference that attracted international and local media agencies which are in Kigali to cover the playoffs and finals of the NBA-affiliated tournament.
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Also present at the press conference was NBA Africa CEO, Clare Akamanzi, FIBA Africa President, Anibal Manave, Ministry of Sports Permanent Secretary Zephanie Niyonkuru, among other officials.
"It is going to be a whole other level. We are going to have great people from across the world, especially in Africa.”
"We are completely sold out for the first game tomorrow,” Fall said, reacting to the momentum before the games.
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The BAL president commended efforts from various partners, pointing out that the league has expanded its reach to more than 214 countries across the world.
"I encourage people to show up at the BK Arena, and I can already see the buzz in Kigali.”
"That's what this league is really about; convening people from different walks of life through the power of basketball,” he added.
Fall shared similar sentiments with NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi, who attributed the growth to the NBA’s activities on the African continent.
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"We have had new teams, new countries, and it speaks volumes to the expansion of the NBA's activities on the African continent. We have to point out that there is access to more NBA merchandise on the continent,” Akamanzi told the press.
Akamanzi maintained that the NBA is committed to scaling up its activities on the African continent, particularly targeting young African entrepreneurs.
"We want to support young entrepreneurs who are keen to provide solutions to the sport ecosystem on the continent,” she said.
"We are here for the BAL; we are looking forward to hosting hundreds of people for the tip-off which is tomorrow.”
Zephanie Niyonkuru, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Sports said that Rwanda is ready to welcome the BAL for the fourth time in a row.
"The league has, among other things, given Africa an opportunity to showcase the talent of their children.”
"For Rwanda, the monetary benefits for hosting such sporting events have been increasing.”
For example, Niyonkuru said, the country’s tourism sector recorded negative growth rates during the pandemic.
"We have seen competitive recovery in the industry which garnered $620 million in revenue. $94 million of the total revenues was generated from the MICE sector, and sports tourism accounted for 15 percent,” she said.
"This indicates that sports tourism continues to become an indicator and a driver of the country's economic growth. As a country, we are also keen to ensure that the required infrastructure is available to facilitate such sporting activities.”
Reacting to the financial hardships faced by several leagues on the continent, FIBA Africa President, Anibal Manave said that 30 percent of FIBA’s budget is allocated to development programs.