IN the heart of Rwanda’s capital, where the echoes of a nation’s remarkable recovery still resonate, 60 young dreamers from across Africa are about to embark on a journey that could change their lives forever. This weekend marks a historic moment as Basketball Without Borders Africa touches down in East Africa for the first time, bringing hope, opportunity, and the promise of greatness to Kigali’s Petit Stade and BK Arena.
Where Champions Are Born
From August 23-26, the most talented high-school-age basketball players from 21 African nations will converge under the guidance of legends who have walked the path they dream of traveling. Leading this constellation of coaching excellence is Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, whose championship pedigree and unwavering determination embody the very spirit these young athletes aspire to achieve.
Joining her are NBA veterans Kerry Kittles and Marvin Williams, both All-Rookie Team honorees who understand the hunger that drives these aspiring players. Together with current NBA coaching luminaries including Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee, Indiana Pacers assistant Lloyd Pierce, and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, they form a powerhouse mentorship team ready to unlock potential and forge futures.
A Legacy of Transformation
The numbers tell a story of dreams realized: since 2001, Basketball Without Borders has reached over 4,600 participants from 144 countries and territories. From those ranks, 142 have made the ultimate leap to the NBA and WNBA. But the African chapter of this story shines particularly bright, with 14 former BWB Africa campers achieving professional status, including some of the game’s biggest stars.
Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP from Cameroon, once stood where these 60 young players stand now. Pascal Siakam, NBA champion and Cameroonian star, walked these same courts of possibility. Most recently, Khaman Maluach from South Sudan proved that dreams know no borders when he became the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, just two years after attending BWB Africa.
More Than Basketball
This isn’t just about perfecting jump shots and defensive stances. The camp’s comprehensive approach includes life-skills development, leadership workshops, and community engagement that shapes not just better players, but better human beings. The young athletes will participate in wheelchair basketball clinics and work with elderly women in the community, learning that true champions lift others as they climb.
The Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, and other honors awaiting the standout performers represent more than individual achievement—they symbolize character, growth, and the values that define greatness both on and off the court.
A Continental Stage
With 72 former BWB Africa campers having competed in the Basketball Africa League over its first five seasons, the pathway from this camp to continental and global stardom has never been clearer. These four days in Kigali represent the beginning of journeys that could lead anywhere—from local leagues to the bright lights of NBA arenas.
As Nike outfits these young athletes with gear fit for champions, they’re not just receiving shoes and uniforms—they’re being clothed in possibility, wrapped in the belief that greatness can emerge from anywhere, anytime, through anyone willing to work for it.
The Moment is Now
In a continent brimming with basketball talent and passion, Rwanda becomes the stage where the next generation of African basketball stars will announce themselves to the world. The courts are ready. The coaches are waiting. The dreams are as vast as the African sky.
For these 60 young athletes, Saturday doesn’t just mark the start of a basketball camp—it marks the beginning of everything they’ve ever imagined possible. In Kigali, under the guidance of champions, surrounded by peers who share their hunger, they’ll discover not just how good they can be, but how far their dreams can take them.
Basketball Without Borders Africa 2025: Where the game’s future meets its most promising present, and where African basketball continues its unstoppable rise on the world stage.
The following is a complete list of players participating in BWB Africa 2025
(roster subject to change):
| GIRLS ROSTER | |
| NAME | COUNTRY |
| Miraldina Buitchi | Angola |
| Synthia Mbeutom | Cameroon |
| Alexandra Djonkou | Cameroon |
| Malak Elhemaly | Egypt |
| Hana Mohamed Saad Ahmed Elbaz | Egypt |
| Yasmin Ahmed | Egypt |
| Tahina Oceane Rasata-Andriamasy | Madagascar |
| Lala Toure | Mali |
| Assitan Diarisso | Mali |
| Couda Keita | Mali |
| Maimouna Traore | Mali |
| Ines Bouboul | Morocco |
| Sabrin El Hilali | Morocco |
| Franca Iyamah | Nigeria |
| Enioluwa Oyedeji | Nigeria |
| Liliane Ingabire | Rwanda |
| Fatoumata Sall | Senegal |
| Ouly Seye | Senegal |
| Fatou Mbengue | Senegal |
| Liamisha Grace Aboo | South Africa |
| Magret Marieu Lual | South Sudan |
| Nyamal Nurah Gatluak Pathot | South Sudan |
| Namnyaki Isaya Mollel | Tanzania |
| Pendo Lashipai Laizer | Tanzania |
| Malak Chehidi | Tunisia |
| Shiphrah Kiranda | Uganda |
| Melissa Margareth Taliba | Uganda |
| Olivia Atima Amani | Uganda |
| Shella Mbulo | Zambia |
| Bupe Mubanga | Zambia |
| BOYS ROSTER | |
| NAME | COUNTRY |
| Akram Saadaoui | Algeria |
| Daniel Nsalambi Agostinho Miller | Angola |
| Motheo Masule | Botswana |
| Wendkouni Marc Ilboudo | Burkina Faso |
| Yvesrostand Makembe | Cameroon |
| *Joachim Basson | Cameroon |
| Pascal Baruti Bauma | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Mwana Ntemba Michael Djuma | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Rami Magdy Abdelsayed Malek | Egypt |
| Belal Sohaib | Egypt |
| Ben Ayugi | Kenya |
| Wael Aguenaou | Morocco |
| Noah Mohamed El Baze | Morocco |
| Almoustapha Hama Ide | Niger |
| Ayomide Ibrahim | Nigeria |
| Moses Egbujor | Nigeria |
| Chibueze John Okechukwu | Nigeria |
| Mwesigwa Willilams Sean | Rwanda |
| Plamedie Bizimana Kayira | Rwanda |
| Gabriel Ndoba Mwimba | Rwanda |
| Pape Moussa Diallo | Senegal |
| Modou Khabane Gueye | Senegal |
| Mohamed Badiane | Senegal |
| Mohamed Mbacke Niane | Senegal |
| Siyabonga Mashaba | South Africa |
| Enzokuhle Mweli | South Africa |
| Ajak Aguer Akech | South Sudan |
| Thon Marial Bior Alier | South Sudan |
| *Matong Muorwel | South Sudan |
| Feisal Shukuru Mlanzi | Tanzania |
*NBA Academy Africa prospect
