Basketball Africa League: Ziguinchor kicks off the neighborhood tournament

Senegalese basketball reached new heights this weekend in Ziguinchor with the launch of the Neighborhood Tournament, organized by the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in partnership with Wave Senegal. Amidst enthusiastic crowds and sporting revelations, this first stage set the tone for a competition that aims to bring basketball closer to communities and showcase local talent.

“We wanted to expand and reach as many regions as possible in Senegal, which is why we are now in Ziguinchor, then Saint-Louis, Thiès, and finally Dakar,” explained Khalil Ndiaye, head of partnerships at BAL. The initiative addresses the concerns raised during the previous edition and reflects a genuine commitment to territorial balance.

An impressive level of play

Ndiaye deemed the results of this first stage "very satisfactory," saying he was "astonished by the level and quality of basketball in the region." He cited Baba Kartané, who went through the NBA Academy and is now on the national team, as proof of Casamance's raw potential: "The basketball we saw today is no surprise."

For her part, Maïmouna Ndour, marketing manager of Wave Senegal, emphasized: "At Wave, we are committed to developing accessibility in all its forms, and it is with this in mind that we decided to partner with the Basketball Africa League to develop Senegalese basketball."

She emphasized the importance of giving visibility to the players: "This tournament is an opportunity to give visibility to basketball players who deserve to be seen and encouraged."

Wave's involvement goes beyond financial support. The company is also actively engaged in infrastructure renovation: "We already started last year with renovated pitches in Ivory Coast, and Senegal will certainly be on the list for future editions."

Towards a major festival in Dakar

After the stages in Saint-Louis, Thiès and Dakar, the best men's and women's teams will meet on August 8 and 9 in Dakar for a grand final transformed into a basketball festival.

Khalil Ndiaye concludes: "With partners like Wave, who share our ambition to bring basketball closer to communities, we want to attract as much local talent as possible so that they stay on the continent and become the great African players of the world."