The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and its partners have inaugurated a renovated basketball court at Gaston Berger University (UGB) in Saint-Louis, Senegal. The work is part of a programme aimed at rehabilitating community sports facilities and offering better playing conditions for young people.
BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall said Saint-Louis was selected for the project's early stages because of its historical importance and its role in Senegal's economic and energy transitions. "It is only natural that this inauguration begins here, in Saint-Louis, a historic city, a world heritage site, but also a city situated at the heart of the country's energy challenges," Fall said.
He framed the renovation as a way for the country's natural resources to translate into youth opportunities. "The resources we have in our subsoil must not only be measured in cubic metres or barrels. They must also allow us to create opportunities, particularly for these young people, by giving them access to safe play areas," he said.
The BAL, now in its sixth year of organising a professional basketball championship in Africa, plans to expand similar partnerships across the sub-region. Fall commended UGB officials for their work with limited resources and predicted that future champions would emerge from the university.
