Safaricom, NBA Africa launch U-16 basketball tournaments

Close to 10,000 youth in four regions in the country are set to benefit from Safaricom and National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa regional under-16 tournaments scheduled to start in January 2025

NBA Africa and Safaricom laid the groundwork when they launched clinics featuring 80 children and coaching development as well as basketball development programmes at Sabis International School in Runda, Nairobi on Wednesday.

Derek Lamar Fisher, an American professional basketball coach and former Los Angeles Laker point and shooting guard, took the 40 girls and a similar number of boys through their first clinic.

To foresee the launch were NBA Deputy Commissioner, Mark Tatum, NBA Africa Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Clare Akamanzi, and Safaricom Chief Financial Service, Esther Waititu.

The high-profile launch came a day after the NBA renewed its partnership with Nation Media Group (NMG) for another two years, which will see NTV continue to relay one premium match every weekend.

The partnership was sealed by NMG Interim CEO, Richard Tobiko, and the two NBA officials at Nation Centre, in a deal that will also see NTV Uganda benefit from an enhanced package.

The NBA Africa and Safaricom partnership will see the launch of under-16 regional tournaments in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret.

Each region will then produce two teams to battle in the grand finale, where a team will be selected to play with teams from countries like South Africa where they are similar programmes.

“This partnership with Safaricom is incredible and historic as it marks the beginning of our largest junior programme in East Africa,” said Tatum. “What we are witnessing from today is kids playing the game of basketball throughout the year.”

Tatum said that they will not only learn the basketball lessons, but also life lessons and values like leadership, discipline, hard work, and respect.

“These will go alongside the training of the coaches so that they can have the ability to run the programmes and the tournaments that will come along,” said Tatum.

Tatum said the construction of 100 basketball courts in Kenya, which is part of the 1,000 courts they want to put up in Africa, will help push the programme to the next level.

Tatum said that some of the best players will be identified and join the Basketball Without Borders camp from the continent that has the best NBA coaches. "From there the best will be picked to join NBA academies into the NBA.

Tatum singled out Khaman Madit Maluach, 18, of South Sudan, who came from the NBA academy.

Waititu said that the fact that the programme will draw children from different communities in the four regions allows them to make sure that all talented children participate. 

Waititu said the partnership will also incorporate the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) and Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) to make it successful.

“We want to make sure that all those playing must stay in school and reach university since we want to develop a whole person by empowering them both in sports and other levels in society. Sports can create those opportunities,” said Waititu.

Akamanzi said they are intentionally in their programmes to include both boys and girls in equal numbers. "I am excited that in Kenya we have nothing that has impeded us from achieving equal numbers in training," said Akamanzi, adding that the Women's NBA is growing fast in the USA.