OVER 250 youths from 16 countries will participate in the Giants of Africa Youth Basketball Festival to be staged in Kigali, Rwanda from August 13th to 19th this year. The 250 youths will camp at BK Arena in Kigali for basketball, education, culture and entertainment.
Tanzania is among the countries that will participate in the festival; other nations are; Kenya, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Somalia, Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, South Sudan, Morocco, Cameroon and Mali.
According to the organiser, Masai Ujiri, who is also the President of the Toronto Raptors, the festival strives to unite and celebrate the next generation of leaders across Africa. At the festival, three events will take place at BK Arena.
The first day will be open for the public to attend: the opening ceremony celebration (August 13th) and closing concert (August 19th), and the Boys Championship Game, Girls Championship Game, and All-Star Game (August 18th).
"The Giants of Africa Festival represents a momentous milestone for our organisation - we will celebrate 20 years of empowering youths and honour the incredible communities that have welcomed us.
"Through this Festival, we aim to inspire and encourage youths while acknowledging their immense potential and the collective effort to create positive change," said Masai Ujiri.
Ujiri confirmed giant African artists will decorate the festival, including Diamond Platnumz, Tiwa Savage and Davido.
"We are honoured to have artists including Davido, Tiwa Savage, Diamond Platnumz, and more join us for the opening ceremony celebration and closing concert, as we believe their performances will further ignite the spirit of the Festival and uplift the aspirations of the local youth in attendance."
The opening ceremony celebration will kick off the week with an electrifying concert from Tanzanian Bongo Flava, recording artist and award-winning superstar Diamond Platnumz.
Hosted by award-winning sportscaster Carol Tshabalala, the celebration will also feature captivating sounds from Massamba Intore, musician, songwriter and founder of Gakondo music group, accompanied by a performance choreographed by Sherrie Silver, an MTV Award-winning choreographer and United Nation's IFAD Advocate for Rural Youth.
The closing concert, presented by Spotify, will feature an incredible line-up of internationally acclaimed artists and performers. Afrobeats icon Davido, fresh off the success of his fourth studio album, will grace the stage with his infectious energy and magnetic stage presence.
Tiwa Savage, the Nigerian singer-songwriter and actress known as the Queen of Afrobeats, will join Davido, who will captivate the audience with unparal leled talent.
The all-star line-up includes Rwanda's own Bruce Melodie, a gifted singer-songwriter known for his soulful melodies, and Tyla, a rising star selected as one of Spotify's emerging artists as part of their RADAR programme.
Their performances promise to create an electrifying atmosphere and leave a lasting impression on the Festival attendees.
Tamara Kamaka, who is part of the event's organising team, noted tickets for the Giants of Africa Festival will go on sale starting from June 22nd at 10:00 am Central Africa Time. To learn more about the festival and to purchase tickets, please visit www. GOAFestival.org.
"Giants of Africa Festival would like to express its gratitude to all sponsors and partners who have contributed to making this event a reality: Spotify, RwandAir, Kensington Tours, IAM GOLD, Sport Court International, LLC, Toronto Raptors.
"Others include DHL Express Canada, Visit Rwanda, Ministry of Sports, Dani Reiss, All One Fund, Jess & Scott Lake, October's Very Own. "Special thanks to His Excellency President Paul Kagame for his unwavering support of Giants of Africa and for graciously hosting the Festival in Rwanda." The Giants of Africa Foundation is based on the idea of using basketball to educate and enrich the lives of African youth--both boys and girls.
Giants of Africa has used sport to help empower youths to dream big, hosting basketball camps and clinics for boys and girls in 17 countries across the continent.
In 2021, Giants of Africa launched the 'Built Within' 100-court initiative and have unveiled 26 basketball facilities in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Somalia to date.
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To celebrate the organisation's 20th anniversary, the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival will bring together over 250 youths from 16 countries across Africa to Kigali, Rwanda, for a week-long basketball, education, culture, and entertainment celebration from August 13th - 19th, 2023.
Giants of Africa has used sport to help empower youths to dream big, hosting basketball camps and clinics for boys and girls in 17 countries across the continent.
In 2021, Giants of Africa launched the 'Built Within' 100-court initiative and unveiled 26 basketball facilities in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Somalia.
To celebrate the organisation's 20th anniversary, the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival will bring together over 250 youth from 16 countries across Africa to Kigali, Rwanda, for a week-long basketball, education, culture, and entertainment celebration from August 13th - 19th, 2023.
