BOITUMELO RANTAO
UNDER-18 players from 33 African countries gathered in Nairobi, Kenya for the first International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Africa Youth Camp of 2021.
The FIBA Africa Youth Camp in Nairobi, the first of three on the African continent, allowed players to gain experience and skills from National Basketball Association (NBA) coaches. The FIBA Africa Youth Camp focused on life skills, focusing on combining basketball and education, leadership, character development, health and wellness.
The technical team is led by Don Showalter (USA Basketball), Naoufal Uariachi (FIBA Expert) and other African basketball experts.
“As part of FIBA Africa’s strategy to make our teams competitive on the international level, we have decided to work with youths as they are the future of our sport and top priority is to prepare them for that level of competition. The young players we have in Africa have the talent but lack the opportunity to have it nurtured early and that is the gap we are looking to bridge,” FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave said at the launch of the event.
“When you see any African player in Europe or the USA, they are on top level and their skills are well developed. This is what we wish to see on our continent. We are not looking to train the players only, “Manave continued,”we have to make sure their coaches are on the same skill level as their peers in the developed countries as that is another weak link we are facing as Africa.”
The development camp ran from September 6-9, Nyayo National Stadium Basketball Arena in Nairobi will host participants from Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe..
FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave and NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams presided over the launch of the camp in Nairobi.
In past years, the camps have been exclusively for boys. The FIBA Youth Camps this year have included girls in the pool of athletes for the first time.
