The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the opening of a new elite basketball training center in Saly, Senegal. The new facility, which features two indoor basketball courts, a multidimensional activity center, a weight room, conference rooms as well as dormitories and educational facilities, will be the primary training location for NBA Academy Africa prospects from across the continent.
The new basketball facility features an eco-friendly structure that utilizes safe, durable and repurposed shipping containers as well as large-span steel trusses and fabric roofing.
Today’s opening ceremony was attended by Senegalese Minister of Sport, Matar Ba; Mayor of Saly, Ousmane Gueye; NBA Deputy Commissioner, Mark Tatum; NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall; FIBA Africa President, Hamane Niang; Diambars President, Saer Seck, and former NBA and WNBA players, Astou Ndiaye (Senegal), Cheikh Samb (Senegal), Shareef-Abdur Rahim (U.S.), DeSagana Diop (Senegal) and Olumide Oyedeji (Nigeria).
The second NBA Academy Africa Women’s camp, which brought together 24 female prospects ages 17 and under from nine African countries, was held at the new facility from Oct. 25-28. 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame member Jennifer Azzi and former college coach Blair Hardiek – the global technical directors for women’s programming across the league’s seven academies – oversaw the camp.
“We are thrilled to open this world class new venue in Saly for NBA Academy Africa prospects,” said Fall. “This facility will provide aspiring players from across the continent with state-of-the-art courts and training equipment, under the tutelage of our NBA coaches, and our world class academic staff. This facility, and the enabling environment around it, will help uphold our commitment to a holistic approach to player development and providing our elite African student athletes with the tools to succeed on and off the court.”
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