Sports administrators in the continent are waking up to the need to harness the full potential of sports as a tool for development and weapon against poverty. This was much highlighted at the unveiling of the official logo of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) which is a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa and scheduled to begin play in March 2020.
The new logo, which features the silhouette of a basketball player taking a jump shot on a vibrant green, yellow, red and royal blue background, celebrates the Pan-African footprint of the league, Africa’s diversity and the continent’s rich basketball heritage.
Read also:Basketball Africa League announces seven host cities for Inaugural Season
Speaking on the development, the President of BAL Amadou Gallo Fall said that Africa should refocus on talent harvesting and the use of sports as a development tool. Africa he said has a large pool of talent left wasting away because of poorly developed administrative structures, and lack of sports infrastructure. This he said will change with the new emphasis on talent development.
The Logo unveiling took place prior to the BAL qualifier game at the Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda in the presence of Rwanda President Paul Kagame, Rwanda Minister of Sport Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju, FIBA Africa and BAL Board President Anibal Manave, FIBA Africa Executive Director Alphonse Bilé, two-time NBA All-Star and South Sudan Basketball Federation President Luol Deng, and former NBA player Olumide Oyedeji of Nigeria.
Read also:Basketball Africa League announces seven host cities for Inaugural Season
The BAL logo is inspired by the NBA and FIBA’s commitment to establishing the BAL as a world-class professional league that champions inclusion and youth development, provides an entertaining product for fans of all ages, and drives economic growth across the continent.
The logo’s colors convey multiple meanings. The red and royal blue connect it back to the NBA, while also symbolizing love, energy, confidence and strength. The yellow and green speak to Africa’s optimism, joy and wisdom, while celebrating health, harmony and environment.
The shape of the logo and the use of a player silhouette connect to the visual structure of the NBA’s family of logos, which includes the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and NBA 2K League. The use of a player taking a jump shot also speaks to one of the most fundamental plays in the game of basketball, a showcase of the talent and skill that will be on display when the inaugural BAL season tips off in March.
“This unique logo reflects the exciting and dynamic nature of our game, symbolizes the richness, diversity and authenticity of our continent, and represents African basketball on the world stage,” said Fall. “This new logo will not only become synonymous with our league, but also with the values and aspirations that the BAL brand will promote and inspire.”
The inaugural BAL regular season will take place in Cairo (Egypt), Dakar (Senegal), Lagos (Nigeria), Luanda (Angola), Rabat (Morocco) and Monastir (Tunisia). Kigali (Rwanda) will host the first-ever BAL Finals. NIKE and Jordan Brand will be the exclusive on-court outfitter of the new professional league.
The first BAL Combine, a two-day scouting event featuring 50 aspiring players from Africa, the U.S. and around the world, was held earlier this month at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Training Center – the official practice facility of the Brooklyn Nets – in Brooklyn, New York.
FIBA and the NBA also plan to dedicate financial support and resources toward the continued development of Africa’s basketball ecosystem, including training for players, coaches and referees, and infrastructure investment.
The announcement about FIBA and the NBA’s launch of the BAL, which would mark the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America, was made at the NBA All-Star 2019 Africa Luncheon in Charlotte on Saturday, Feb. 16. Additional details about the BAL will be announced at a later date.
The NBA has become a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in nearly 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2019-20 season featured 108 international players from 38 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.6 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry