The just-concluded FIBA Women's Afrobasket tournament that unfolded in Kigali has shown how far basketball has gone in Rwanda, Amadou Gallo Fall, the president of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) has said.
The competition attracted 12 national teams from across the continent and served great basketball action that culminated in Nigeria's triumph as the 2023 champions, taking home the prestigious championship for the fourth time in a row.
Speaking to Times Sport, Gallo Fall, who attended a number of games at the BK Arena, commended the tournament in regards to how the teams performed but also aspects related to the attendance.
"I was especially impressed with the turnout of the crowds. So for me, that's a really big indicator of how far the game has gone, especially here in Rwanda," he said.
Fall commended Rwanda for proving doubters, when they made it among the top-four teams at the tournament, referring to it as a huge achievement.
"I cannot commend the leadership of this country enough, making the decision to really focus on growing the game of basketball, making it popular in Rwanda. So this is the result. It is a good achievement and points to the fact that there are no shortcuts. You need to invest, organize, plan and the results will come," he noted.
Good performances from underdog teams like Uganda which pushed its way to the semi-finals, in addition to conjuring a shock victory over Senegal in the group stages also impressed Gallo Fall, and mean that the game's growth is only going to the right path.
"But there is still a lot of work to be done, to put more energy and focus into growing the women's game," he said.
Talking more about how much women's basketball means for him, Fall noted that it is something that is of great importance for the BAL.
"When I was playing for Dakar University Club, our women's team was actually way better than we were. We would all support and cheer," he said.
He said that the BAL is making ways to encourage girls' participation and access to the league and the basketball industry in general.
For example, last year, through the BAL 4 Her program, basketball camps were organized to give an opportunity to young women in countries like Senegal, Egypt, and Rwanda to participate in training clinics, play games, and get skills.
