NBA Academy Africa (www.NBA.com) Hosts Series of Exhibition Games Featuring U-18 Teams from Canada, Cameroon, Germany, Senegal and the U.S.; Seven Participating Teams Collectively Feature Nearly 100 Players from 19 Countries.  

NBA Africa yesterday tipped off the second NBA Academy Showcase Africa, a series of exhibition games featuring U-18 teams from Canada, Cameroon, Germany, Senegal and the U.S. competing in front of NBA scouts and NCAA coaches, which is taking place at NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal through Wednesday, May 1.

The seven participating teams – Sport Institute Dynastie (Canada), Play 2 Lead Foundation (Cameroon), International Basketball Academy Munich (Germany), Sport for Education and Economic Development Academy (SEED; Senegal), Mountain Stars Basketball (U.S.) and host teams NBA Academy Africa Blue and NBA Academy Africa Red – feature nearly 100 players from 19 countries.

“We are excited to host the second NBA Academy Showcase Africa as we build on the success of last year’s inaugural event,” said NBA Africa Head of Basketball Operations Franck Traore. “This is an incredible opportunity for some of the top high-school-age prospects from around the world, including NBA Academy Africa student-athletes, to compete against their peers as they continue their development.”

NBA Academy Showcase Africa 2024 includes several players currently playing in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) as part of the BAL Elevate program, including Ahmed Abouelela (Egypt, Bangui Sporting Club), Ahmed Bedoui (Tunisia, US Monastir), Mouhamed Camara (Senegal, APR), Yakhya Diop (Senegal, Cape Town Tigers), Seifeldin Hendawy (Egypt, Al Ahly), Khaman Maluach (South Sudan, City Oilers), Assane Mandian (Senegal, Al Ahly Ly), Khadim Mboup (Senegal, AS Douanes), Aginaldo Neto (Angola, Petro de Luanda), Mouhamed Sylla (Senegal, FUS Rabat) and David Ugonna Ike (Nigeria, Rivers Hoopers).

The inaugural showcase in 2023 was attended by more than 20 NBA and NCAA scouts, including representatives from the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.  Participants included several NBA Academy Africa prospects who have since declared for the 2024 NBA Draft: Ulrich Chomche (NBA Academy Africa; Cameroon), Thierry Serge Darlan (NBA G- League Ignite; Central African Republic), Ugonna Onyenso (University of Kentucky; Nigeria) and Aziz Bandaogo (University of Cincinnati; Senegal), as well as former NBA Academy Africa prospects Churchill Abass (De Paul University; Nigeria), Joy Ighovodja (Wichita State University; Nigeria) and Dramane Camara (De Paul University; France; ties to Mali).

NBA Academy is a year-round elite basketball development program that provides top high-school-age athletes from outside the U.S. with a holistic approach to player development and a predictable pathway to maximize their potential.  The NBA Academy program includes three academies across Australia (NBA Global Academy), Mexico (NBA Academy Latin America) and Senegal (NBA Academy Africa) for top prospects from their respective countries and continents.  In 2018, NBA Academy Africa opened a new facility in Saly, Senegal, which features two indoor basketball courts, a multipurpose activity center, a weight room, conference rooms, dormitories and educational facilities.

Please see below for the complete NBA Academy Showcase Africa 2024 rosters.

NBA Academy Showcase Africa – Teams Rosters (https://apo-opa.co/3UH4v47).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

Contact:
Pawel Weszka
NBA Africa Communications
pweszck@nba.com
+27 10 007 2666

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, will undertake an Official Visit to Denmark to participate in the 2024 Nordic-African Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, scheduled to take place from 2-3 May 2024, in Copenhagen.

The two-day annual meeting will be held under the theme, “Multilateralism&increasing Trade and Investment”.

Several African Ministers of Foreign Affairs or their representatives have confirmed their participation.

The Nordic-Africa Foreign Ministers Meeting was established in 2000 with engagements between five Nordic countries and ten African countries. Its objective was to emphasise the political importance of Africa and to demonstrate that Africa-Nordic relations went beyond development cooperation.

The Meeting provides an opportunity for the African countries to exchange notes with countries of the North on key global issues and developments. It also serves as the developing mechanism for improving trade and investment between African and Nordic countries.

The Nordic-African Foreign Ministers Meeting will include two closed plenary sessions, one on Partnerships in the African Century and the second plenary on Global Governance and International Financial Architecture.

In addition, the meeting will have two sessions of separate roundtables each co-chaired by the Ministers from Africa and Nordic countries to discuss the topic, “Peace and Security will take place”.

Also included in the programme are two-panel sessions:

(i) an Africa-Nordic Youth Panel which will discuss the theme – Youth and Economic Partnerships – five youth representatives will be joined by two Foreign Ministers (one from Africa and one from the Nordics).

(ii) An Africa-Nordic Research-Policy Roundtable, which will discuss Economic Partnerships in an Age of Complexity: sustaining Peace and fostering Prosperity through Africa-Nordic cooperation.

The African-Nordic Business Meeting aimed at exploring opportunities to strengthen trade and investments between African and Nordic countries is on Friday, 3 May 2024.

Three-panel discussions, comprising African and Nordic Foreign Ministers as well as African and Nordic Country Trade representatives and business organisations will be held during the business meeting. The three panels are a High-level Session on increased Cooperation and Trade; a High-level Session on Green Transition and Digitisation; and a High-level Session on Food Value Chains.

Minister Pandor will use the opportunity of her visit to Denmark to also have bilateral discussions with some of her counterparts both from the Nordic and African countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

The Foreign Ministry sends the sincere condolences and sympathy of the Sultanate of Oman to the Republic of Kenya for the victims of the floods that have claimed dozens of lives.

It also sends its wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Foreign Ministry of Oman.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, made a phone call this evening to Ahmed Attaf, Foreign Minister of the People’s Democratic, Republic of Algeria.

The Ministers consulted and coordinated with regard to various aspects of bilateral cooperation. They discussed ways to develop mutual benefits and further common interests, in preparation for holding the next session of the Omani-Algerian Joint Committee later this year in Algeria.

This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Foreign Ministry of Oman.