Top Young African Youth To Take Part In Basketball Without Borders, Africa
-NBA and WNBA Legends and Coaches to Train and Mentor African Youth Spanning the Continent -
LONDON AND JOHANNESBURG – Aug. 25, 2011 – Some of the most talented young basketball players from across Africa have been chosen to participate in Basketball without Borders Africa (BWB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Basketball South Africa (BSA) announced today. The African edition of the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa for the eighth time from Sep. 1-4.
The players (ages 18 and under) from 24 countries will travel over 100,000 kilometers from all four corners of the African continent and descend on Johannesburg for the four-day basketball camp. The players, including four from South Africa and two from the newly formed Republic of South Sudan, were selected by FIBA, the NBA and participating federations based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport.
For the duration of the event, campers will work on improving their basketball skills through drills, daily scrimmages, and competitions with top instruction from NBA and WNBA legends and coaches. The young players will be placed into mixed-nationality teams to promote diversity and camaraderie. Campers will be hosted by St. John’s College, with the on-court action taking place at the King Edwards VII School.
The campers will also participate in daily life skills sessions, in partnership with Hoops 4 Hope, in which NBA legends will speak about the importance of education, leadership, and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.
This will be the ninth edition of the BWB Africa camp, and the eighth to be held in South Africa. Last years’ edition of BWB Africa took place in Dakar, Senegal for the first time. More than 100 NBA players, legends and other personnel, along with more than 800 campers, have participated since the first camp in 2003, with five former campers making the transition to the NBA.
NBA Global Ambassador and DRC native Dikembe Mutombo, will lead a contingent of NBA legends including Dee Brown, Patrick Ewing, Jeff Hornacek, Alonzo Mourning and Bo Outlaw and WNBA Legends Tamika Raymond and Edna Campbell. NBA coaches in attendance include Harold Ellis (Detroit Pistons); Marc Eversley (Toronto Raptors); Lionel Hollins (Memphis Grizzlies); Noel Gillespie (Phoenix Suns); Mark Hughes (New York Knicks); Patrick Hunt (FIBA Coach); BJ Johnson (Houston Rockets); Milt Newton (Washington Wizards); and Monty Williams (New Orleans Hornets). Dionne Calhoun from the 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks and Koichi Sato (Washington Wizards) join as camp trainers. Phoenix Suns General Manager Lance Blanks and Denver Nuggets General Manager Masai Ujiri return as camp directors.
Running concurrently to the boys’ camp, 25 elite women (ages 18 and under) will take part in a two-day girls camp and will receive expert instruction from former WNBA players Edna Campbell and Tamika Raymond. The girls, as selected by Basketball South Africa, will also participate in daily life skills sessions.
Co-organized by the NBA and FIBA, this year’s camp features Nike, South African Airways, and Sprite as BWB Marketing Partners.
The following is a complete list of players participating in Basketball without Borders Africa 2011:
| COUNTRY | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | COUNTRY | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME |
| Algeria | Mohamed-Zaki | Guermat | Mali | Salif | Traoré |
| Algeria | Mohamed-Karim | Zennadi | Morocco | Otmane | Bouslama |
| Angola | Benvindo | Quimbamba | Morocco | Younes | Lembarki |
| Angola | Reginaldo | Kanza | Mozambique | Jorge | Tome |
| Angola | Teotónio | Dó | Nigeria | Tochukwu | Ewenike |
| Burkina Faso | W. Emmanuel Alex | GillesGyebre | Nigeria | Aseriobiome Victor | Joseph |
| Burkina Faso | Tegawende Joel | Nongana | Nigeria | Akpara | Akita |
| Cameroon | Noah Ndzana | Germain Arnaud | Nigeria | Olapido Charles | Osunnubi |
| Cameroon | Joel-Hans | Embiid | Nigeria | John Edafe | Owhe |
| Cameroon | Mballa | Mendzana | Rwanda Karekezi | Rurangirwa | Pascal |
| Cameroon | Moustapha | Arafat | Senegal | Pape Malick | Sarr |
| Cameroon | William Steve | Tchiengang Tankouo | Senegal | Ismaila | Diallo |
| Cape Verde | Iaquiny | Correia | Senegal | Youssoupha | Kane |
| Cape Verde | Aluizio | Correia | Senegal | Abdoulaye | Ndoye |
| Central African Rep. | Daniel Jean Etienne | Kongbo | Senegal | Youssoupha | Fall |
| Central African Rep. | Amadou | Sissoko | South Africa | Mlungisi Austin | Mahlathini |
| Chad | Allah-Asra | Doungous | South Africa | Thabo | Sithole |
| Congo | Exoce Garnett | Louoni Gampourou | South Africa | Nkosinathi | Festile |
| Cote d'Ivoire | Arnaud Aristide | Assale | South Africa | Vutomi | Bilankulu |
| Cote d'Ivoire | Alain Alvin | Abby | South Sudan | Abuna Raric | Jur |
| DRC | Makabu | Kanku | South Sudan | Bul | Bior |
| DRC | Ted Haramal | Kapita | Tunisia | Omar | Abada |
| DRC | Christian Niamazomi | Munuana | Tunisia | Hamdi | Karooui |
| Egypt | Ahmed | Gazar | Tunisia | Bilel | Saddadi |
| Egypt | Ahmed | Karkoura | Uganda | Japhet Muhanguzi | Higiro |
| Egypt | Ahmed | Mokhtar | Uganda | Jonah | Otim |
| Egypt | Seif El-Din | Said | Zambia | Richard | Kauna |
| Kenya | Dominic Shitanda | Obunaka | Zambia | Patson | Siame |
| Mali | Mamadou | Keita | Zimbabwe | Billy Nqobizita | Melusi |
| Mali | Idrissa | Coulibaly |
