The inaugural Basketball African League opened at the Kigali Arena on Sunday, May 16 and will run for two weeks until May 30. The league convening 12 teams, each representing one country from Africa, was initially to be held across seven cities in a caravan format with the finals slated for Kigali. However, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the organizers; the American National Basketball Association and the Federation International Basketball Associations (FIBA), went for a full season held in Kigali in a bubble format, meaning that the players and technical teams will stay together in isolation during the period of the season. Beyond the game adored and followed by fans across the world, BAL organizers say they expect to have social-economic impact on the continent and could unlock opportunities for local and continental stakeholders. While the inaugural season is largely characterized by international sponsors (such as NBA, Hennessy, AFD - Agence Française de Développement, New Fortress Energy among others), Amadou Fall the head of BAL said that in consequent seasons, they are looking to have increased involvement of African stakeholders. Fall said that BAL has the potential to be an economic dynamo for the continent giving a platform to opportunities in aspects such as music, fashion, talent, art, and technology as well as boost tourism on the African continent. Sports leagues across the world have been known to play a key role in economic growth with multiple revenue streams ranging from broadcasting rights, sponsorships and advertising among others. For instance, the Indian cricket league (Indian Premier League (IPL) whose largest following is largely made up of the Asian nation’s citizens was in 2019 estimated to have a value of about $6.8 billion. Fall said that in subsequent seasons, the platform will play a huge role in showcasing unique African elements and aspects to a global audience citing the example of Visit Rwanda this year. He added that they expect sports and entertainment to make a larger contribution in economic growth as a result as well as create job opportunities and give rise to emerging industries. With the caravan format expected to resume in the next season of BAL taking place in seven cities, organizers expect to have multiple local elements consequently having a trickle-down effect in the participating economies. With the tourney televised in over 200 countries, local talents, arts, fashion and other elements showcases are also expected to receive visibility catapulting them to the international stage. Considering the huge continental fan base, the league is also likely to attract a host of African sponsors and financiers seeking to gain mileage on the continent. RwandAir is one of the sponsors of the league. The head of BAL added that development of the league will see establishment of basketball and sporting infrastructure across the continent consequently allowing emergence of local leagues and sports development. FIBA President Anibal Manave termed BAL as an African Project saying that in the next season, the league will feature more African companies and brands. He said that from the partnership executing BAL, the International Basketball Federation was also gaining insights to get past their long-term challenges which include structure challenges, lack of growth plans, and inadequate marketing plans among others. He said that BAL’s best practices would be replicated in aspects such as television rights, events organizing, referees selection as well as development of a women’s league which will also increase the contribution of the sport on economic growth.
