Kenya is one of the key beneficiary of the former US President Barack Obama’s NBA Project which will be launched in months to come.
Obama teamed up with the America’s elite basketball body, the NBA and the sport’s global governing body FIBA to start the preparation the professional league in Africa that will include 12 teams across the continent.
Qualification games for the the Basketball Africa League will be played at the end of 2019 with the league officially starting in 2020 Janaury.
Participating clubs will come from Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia which no nation will have more than one team.
Obama who spoke to NBA official revealed that he will actively take part in the league.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver told AP that Obama has told him he wants to “be directly involved with these activities in Africa.”
“I hope you learn through sport what it means to play as a team, and even if you are the best player, your job is not just to show off but your job is to make your teammates better.” Obama also spoke during a would be sponsors meeting
Top brands Pepsi and Nike have expressed interests to join the Africa league as sponsors
NBA and FIBA will give financial support, training of players, coaches and referees as well as providing infrastructural support.
