The Basketball Africa League will unveil Nigeria’s first BAL4HER court in Owerri, Imo State, in December as part of a six-court refurbishment project across Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal, Bold Sports reports.
The Owerri facility, renovated in collaboration with Qatar Foundation, will become the second BAL4HER court in Africa. It currently serves more than 300 participants from across Imo State.
Two-time WNBA All-Star and BAL ambassador Chiney Ogwumike will support the unveiling alongside her nonprofit organisation, Queens of the Continent.
The renovation includes improvements to the court’s lighting and drainage, as well as refurbished changing rooms and bathrooms. The BAL said the project would transform the existing gathering space into a dedicated venue for organised sport, youth development and community engagement.
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BAL4HER is the league’s platform for advancing opportunities for women and girls in basketball and other areas of personal development.
The first BAL4HER court on the continent will be inaugurated in Guédiawaye, Senegal, on October 30. Also developed with Qatar Foundation, the indoor facility will support basketball, volleyball and handball and include spaces for leadership workshops, educational sessions, life-skills training and health and nutrition programmes.
The two projects form part of six courts being refurbished by the BAL in partnership with PETROSEN, Qatar Foundation, Ville de Dakar, Wave Ivory Coast and Woodside Energy.
Courts at Université Gaston Berger in Saint-Louis, Senegal, and Groupe Scolaire Lac in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, were unveiled on September 30 and October 3 respectively. Another refurbished facility was inaugurated in Joal, Senegal, on October 7, while a court along Dakar’s Atlantic coastline will be unveiled on October 9.
The Abidjan facility is expected to serve almost 3,000 players weekly, including 2,500 students. It will also host a development programme for 300 girls aged 18 and under from eight schools, alongside a weekly youth basketball competition.
Each of the six courts features an upgraded playing surface, spectator seating and new basketball stanchions. Selected facilities will also have improved lighting, changing rooms and sanitation facilities.
“These newly refurbished courts reflect our commitment to investing in communities and making the game more accessible to young people across Africa,” BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall said.
“Together with our partners, we are creating spaces where the next generation of African basketball players, fans and changemakers can grow, connect and thrive.”
The refurbishment programme supports NBA Africa’s commitment to build or renovate 1,000 basketball courts across the continent over the next decade. The six facilities are expected to serve thousands of young people and other community members annually.
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