Each team will have a young player in the Basketball Africa League. The NBA-affiliated league launched BAL Elevate to help each team get one NBA Academy Africa player.
The African branch of the NBA Academy system is located in Saly (Senegal). It was established in 2017. 12 teenagers from six countries will join the ranks of professional athletes when the second edition begins in Dakar, March 5.
Amadou Gallo Fall, President of BAL, stated that BAL Elevate is a valuable tool for the 12 BAL teams as well as the young men from NBA Academy Africa. He said that BAL Elevate would be a tremendous asset to them and their players.
“There is an obvious synergy between BAL and NBA Academy Africa. This program will provide another route for elite African players to reach their full potential as individuals and players.”
BAL Elevate members from the same country were automatically selected to that team. BAL Elevate players from the same country were automatically selected. The remaining players re-joined their player pool to have the chance to be chosen by another team. BAL Elevate players won’t share the prize money that is awarded to the top BAL teams at season’s end.
NBA Academy Africa alumni Mohab Yasser, who played for Zamalek last year, won the inaugural BAL Championship. He is now playing at Eastern Tennessee State University.
Since the opening of NBA Academy Africa in 2017, 19 males and females have signed up for NCAA Division I schools within the U.S.
This year, the BAL will be played over three legs. The Sahara Conference will run from March 5-15. The Nile Conference in Cairo will run from April 9-19. From May 21 to 28, the playoffs/finals featuring the top four Conference teams will be played in Kigali, Rwanda.
BAL Elevate participants:
Sahara Conference
· AS Salé (Morocco): Nadir Bennis from Rabat, Morocco
· CFV (Mozambique): Reuben Abuchi Chinyelu from Enugu Agade, Anambra State, Nigeria
· DUC (Senegal): Babacar Sane from Bignona, Senegal
· REG (Rwanda): Joy Ighovodja from Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
· S.L.A.C (Guinea): Serigne Saliou Mbaye form Thies, Senegal
· US Monastir (Tunisia): Charles Loic Onana Awana from Yaounde, Cameroon
Nile Conference
· Cape Town Tigers (South Africa): Matar Diop from Dakar, Senegal
· Cobra Sport (South Sudan): Khaman Madit Maluach from Rumbek, South Sudan
· Espoir Fukash (Democratic Republic of the Congo): Emmanuel Eberechukwu Okorafor from Abia State, Nigeria
· F.A.P (Cameroon): Ulrich Kamka Chomche from Bafang, Cameroon
· Petro de Luanda (Angola): Thierry Serge Darlan from Bangui, Central African Republic
· Zamalek (Egypt): Khadim Rassoul Mboup from Dakar, Senegal