Basketball of Friday, 30 December 2022

Source: Patrick Allotey, Contributor

Basketball Africa League supports the growth of sport in Ghana

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Representatives from the Basketball Africa League (BAL) have pledged their support to former Ghanaian NBA player, Pops Mensah-Bonsu's 100 Camp which would take place on December 29 and 30, 2022 in Accra.

Representatives from the Basketball Africa League (BAL) will welcome 100 top basketball players from across Ghana at the Pops 100 Camp: Powered by Seed Academy Ghana, a 2-day intensive basketball camp for elite and grassroots male and female student-athletes.

Amadou Gall Fall, President of BAL and John Manyo-Plange, VP & Head of Strategy + Operations at BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA, will join former Ghanaian NBA Player, Pops Mensah-Bonsu at the opening day of the Pops 100 Camp with a mission to develop the next generation of African leaders through education and basketball.

“The growth of basketball on the continent is inextricably linked to the development of grassroots initiatives”, shares Basketball Africa League President Amadou Gallo Fall. “Our support of the Pops 100 camp is part of our commitment to expand our footprint to Ghana, get more young people to learn and play the game and support Pops who is our BAL Ambassador.”

In 2018, Mensah-Bonsu launched the Ghana Division of SEED (Sports for Education and Economic Development), an organization founded in Senegal by Gallo-Fall as the first basketball student-athlete academy in Africa. SEED Academy Ghana works in partnership with the Ghana Basketball Association to create a sustainable, scalable basketball culture that will cultivate and inspire the next generation of Ghanaian youth.

“For the 3rd annual Pops 100 Camp, I am thrilled to continue bringing the BAL, NBA Africa and SEED’s vision to life to further support and enhance the development of basketball, coaching and infrastructure for basketball in Ghana and across Africa, as well as mentor, coach, and signpost future basketball talents,” says Mensah-Bonsu who played professionally in the NBA as well as clubs in the European leagues and represented Great Britain as a member of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Over the course of two days, players at the Pops 100 Camp will develop and enhance critical basketball skills such as ball handling, passing, shooting form, and defense, Life Skills Sessions, and a closing awards ceremony with special invited guests.

The BAL marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a professional league outside North America and currently features players from 23 countries across Africa, Europe and the U.S.

Opening day of Pops 100 Camp: Powered by Seed Academy Ghana will be held 29th December featuring representatives from BAL as well as the Ghana Basketball Association. The camp will culminate the following day with an awards ceremony and Life Skills Sessions with special invited guests on 30th December in Accra, Ghana.