September 7-12, 2005
Johannesburg, South Africa

EVENT PARTNERS







The Best Players from 28 Countries across Africa to Take Part

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 26, 2005 – The National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Basketball South Africa (BSA) today announced the 106 participants selected for Basketball without Borders (BWB) Africa, a basketball instructional camp for young people that also promotes friendship, healthy living and education. Led by Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo (Congo), the camp features current and former NBA players and team personnel as camp coaches, and uniquely incorporates community outreach activities and educational seminars addressing prevalent issues in today’s society such as HIV/AIDS education and prevention.

The young players (ages 19 & under) from 28 countries across Africa were selected by FIBA and the NBA, based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport. Basketball without Borders Africa, scheduled to take place September 7-12, will once again return to the American International School of Johannesburg, the event’s host since 2003. Co-organized by the NBA, FIBA, and BSA, the camp features Reebok, South African Airways, Sprite, Molten and Spalding as BWB Marketing Partners. South African Airways will help fly the 106 players from all over Africa to the camp. Sprite will provide refreshments for camp participants, players, coaches and media. Reebok will provide on-court apparel, footwear, sports bags and towels for all campers.

The list of campers includes 19 athletes, who took part in Sprite tournaments across the continent. National basketball tournaments, sponsored by Sprite, featured some of the best talent from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe and the “Most Valuable Players” from the participating countries will get the opportunity to take part in Basketball without Borders Africa.

The inaugural Basketball without Borders took place in Europe in July 2001. Since then, Basketball without Borders has expanded its reach to four continents. In addition to Africa, the first Basketball without Borders Asia took place in Beijing, China July 14-17. The second annual Basketball without Borders Americas headed to Buenos Aires, Argentina June 30-July 4. In its fifth year, Basketball without Borders Europe took place July 28-31 in Treviso, Italy. To date, more than 590 youngsters from 93 different countries and territories have taken part in the NBA and FIBA program and Reading & Learning Centers have been created in South Africa and Brazil as part of its community outreach efforts in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

Since the program’s first trip to Africa in 2003, more than 28 NBA players and team personnel from 11 teams have participated in Basketball without Borders Africa. To promote friendship and diversity, the campers will be divided into teams without regard to race and nationality. They will share living quarters with their new teammates and participate in daily seminars that promote education, leadership, character, healthy living and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

In addition to the on-court action, Basketball without Borders Africa also will feature extensive community outreach initiatives, led by NBA Legend and Community Ambassador Bob Lanier, including a return visit to the Ithuteng Trust, a Youth Empowerment Program founded in 1990 by Jackey “Mama Jackey” Maarohanye, in Pimville, South Africa. It also will include a return to the Soweto Kliptown Youth Trust (SKY), in partnership with international relief organization Feed the Children, which provided daily meals to SKY’s 500 students. During the last two trips to South Africa, the camps included a dedication of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation boys and girls youth hostels, a new basketball court and the opening of a Reading and Learning Center at Ithuteng Trust. Most of the students come from extremely poverty-stricken families and the majority are orphans due to political violence, crime and AIDS. The NBA and FIBA also will donate products, such as basketballs, rims and nets to local basketball federations.

Other NBA players taking part in Basketball without Borders Africa include LA Clippers Mamadou N’diaye (Senegal), NBA player Jerome Williams, Denver Nuggets center-forward Marcus Camby, Detroit Pistons forward-guard Darvin Ham, New Orleans Hornets forward Maciej Lampe (Poland) and Phoenix Suns forward-guard Jim Jackson. In addition, NBA personnel from eight different teams also will act as camp coaches. The San Antonio Spurs R.C. Buford, Dallas Mavericks Amadou Fall, Denver Nuggets Masai Ujiri and Cleveland Cavaliers Lance Blanks and Sam Vincent will serve as the camp directors.

The following is a complete list of players participating in Basketball without Borders Africa 2005:
LAST NAME FIRST NAME COUNTRY LAST NAME FIRST NAME COUNTRY
GHAZOUL Touhami Algeria TRAORE Yacouba Mali
BELDJILALI Mohamed Algeria COULIBALY Idrissa Alou Mali
MOSTEFAI Yanis Algeria NADIM Soufiane Morocco
KESRAOUI Chakir Algeria MASROURI Omar Morocco
KAICHE Saad Algeria MALLOUL Marouane Morocco
ANTÓNIO João Angola SAMO GUDO José Mozambique
SILVA Ezequiel Angola MONJANE Edson Mozambique
PEREIRA Domingos Angola GARBA GIGO Hassane Niger
MARIANO Manuel Angola MAHAMAN ZENE Abdoul-Kader Niger
MIGUEL José Angola EZENIBE Harry Onochie Nigeria
JOÃO Simão Francisco Angola AYODELE Oluwaseyi Ahmed Nigeria
GONÇALO André Angola AHMED Temitope Enitan Nigeria
GONÇALVES Helder Antonio Angola EHIAGWINA George Osereme Nigeria
LUANO Francisco Angola AYODELE Michael Oluwaseyi Nigeria
AMBRÓSIO Felizardo Angola ADEBAYO Temidayo Wale Nigeria
NKWE Eric Botswana MBARAM Omri Okon Nigeria
TOE Anthyme L. Burkina Faso ALAO Solomon Nigeria
BILLA Omer Burkina Faso MANGA Yahaya Nigeria
BAMOGO Andre Burkina Faso JIMOH Aminu Nigeria
NGNIMAN Dominique Axel Cameroon DASYLVA Joseph Senegal
MANYAKA EYOUM Georges Cameroon FALL Samba Senegal
THIERRY NGBWA Yannick Ondoua Cameroon ADAMS Louis Senegal
ATANGA BETAYENE Henry Joel Cameroon DIOP Mouhamadou Lamine Senegal
BATOUMBE ENANGA Gabin Cyrille Cameroon DIOP Mouhamadou Senegal
BYEUMO TCHOUPOU Bertrand Gabriel Cameroon NDOYE Moustapha Senegal
ATANGANA Luc Francis Cameroon NDIAYE Aziz Senegal
SIAKAM Jordan (Gabin) Cameroon THOMAS Ibrahima Senegal
DIYANI Alain Herve Cameroon DIOP Serigne M.M. Senegal
SILVA LIMA Aldevino Manuel Cape Verde GAYE Birahim Senegal
BORGES TAVARES Nuno Cape Verde BA Mame Bocar Senegal
NDOUBA NAGUIDENCAR Teddy Alban Central African Republic VAN BREDA Jeff South Africa
BANGAYA Elancy Central African Republic MANQUELE Sandiso Siphelele South Africa
MAHAMA Michaela Central African Republic KHUMALO Celumusa South Africa
MBUMBA Buvu Congo ACUTT Michael South Africa
EYENGA Christian Congo SITHOLE Sakhile South Africa
NZADI Alain Congo EGON Byron South Africa
LUTUMBA Katambayi Congo SHANGE Ayanda South Africa
KAPUKU Tshitenge Congo PSOUREKIS Mimi South Africa
DEMBELE Abdul Aziz Cote d'Ivoire FICK Brent South Africa
BAROU Noman Daniel-Yann Cote d'Ivoire SELELANE Isaac South Africa
KOKOUM Stéphane Cote d'Ivoire ABDEL MONEM Amir Osman Abdel Gadir Sudan
RASHED Mohamed Adly Ahmed Egypt TENG Poong Acuil Sudan
ABD ALLAH Ramy Ibrahim Morssy Egypt THWALA Andile Swaziland
BARAKA Ahmed Hesham Ahmed Egypt MUYA Daniel Gasper Tanzania
ELDIBIKI Amro Hassan Egypt RAMMEH Aymen Tunisia
LANGYINTUO Melvis Ghana HADIDANE Anis Tunisia
ADKINY Lionel Kenya FERCHICHI Ahmed Tunisia
MUGENI Moses Kenya CHEHAB Fethi Tunisia
MOSHABESHA Motjekoane Lesotho MWILA Chisanga Zambia
HARAWA Alinane Malawi CHAILA Iteliler (Tiku) Zambia
TOURÉ Mahamane Foulane Mali CHITSINDE Taurai L Zimbabwe
KONE Cheick Tidiane Mali NYATHI David Zimbabwe
HAIDARA Mahamane Alassane Mali BONGOMIN Edward Uganda