September 7-12, 2005 Johannesburg, South Africa

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Sept. 7 -- What do the languages of Afrikaans, Sepedi, Sesotho, Isixhosa, Xitsonga, Tshiveneda, Isizulu, not forgetting, Arabic, French, Portugeuse - oh and English - have in common? They are just a selection of the languages spoken by the campers at Basketball Without Borders Africa, which tipped off Wednesday.

One hundred and six young men, age 19 and under, from 28 different African countries converged on the American International School of Johannesburg for the commencement of the camp which runs from September 7-12. The program, a basketball instructional camp for young people that promotes friendship, healthy living and education is making its third visit to South Africa.

Having arrived from all four corners of the African continent the previous day, the campers reported present for Day 1 of the program on Wednesday, eager to see what lay in store. After meeting the Camp Directors and receiving a quick run down on the camp rules and regulations (Rule 1: Don’t be late!), the fresh faced basketball players were ready to break into a sweat – well that is what they came all this way for.

Looking perfectly uniform in their new gear (provided by Reebok), the campers spent the afternoon running scrimmages in order for the NBA players and coaches to evaluate the talent on display.

The day ended with the NBA players and coaches holding the first ever Basketball Without Borders Africa Draft to determine the teams for the duration of the camp.