The Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2020 season, which was scheduled for next month in Rwanda, has been postponed and a starting new date is yet to be set, Times Sport has learned. The inaugural edition of the tournament, featuring Africa’s best basketball clubs, was initially supposed to start in March but it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Amid the ongoing upsurge in coronavirus infections on the continent and across the globe, this publication understands that 12 clubs – that will participate in the maiden BAL showpiece – were informed of the postponement last week. BAL and local organisers will have to discuss and agree on a new timeline for the competition, possible around March 2021. What is certain for now is, Rwanda will remain the host nation,” a source within the organising team told Times Sport on Wednesday. The BAL, a joint partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), is a professional league featuring 12 clubs from across Africa. It marks the NBAs first collaboration to operate a league outside North America. NIKE and Jordan Brand are the exclusive outfitter of the new professional league. Clubs (12) for BAL 2020 Ferroviario de Maputo (Mozambique), GNBC (Madagascar), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), Petro de Luanda (Angola), AS Douanes (Senegal), AS Police (Mali), FAP (Cameroon), Union Sportive Monastir (Tunisia), AS Sale (Morocco), GSP (Algeria), Zamalek (Egypt), and Rwanda’s Patriots.
