Sign In or Register | Friday, December 13, 2024
AfricaTeam,   8/20/2024 2:48:29 PM Add AfricaTeam as a Friend | Send Message
Africa See Profile
Stanbic Bank, National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa and Luol Deng Foundation Celebrate First Jr. NBA/Jr. Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals in South Sudan

 Former NBA All-Stars Luol Deng and Cedric Ceballos Attend Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Finals in Juba.

 

 

JUBA, South Sudan, August 19, 2024/ -- Stanbic Bank in South Sudan, NBA Africa (www.NBA.com) and the Luol Deng Foundation today hosted the first edition of the Stanbic Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Finals, which took place at the Nimra Talata Basketball Stadium in Juba, South Sudan.  Juba One 76ers were crowned the inaugural season’s champions, with Khalid Jibrin named the finals’ Most Valuable Player.

Notable attendees included Stanbic Bank South Sudan Head of Business Fred Ouko, Luol Deng Foundation Founder and two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng, Luol Deng Foundation CEO Arek Deng, 1995 NBA All-Star and 1992 Slam Dunk champion Cedric Ceballos, Basketball Africa League President Amadou Gallo Fall, and South Sudan national team members Wenyen Gabriel, Kuany Kuany and Nuni Omot.  The event builds on Stanbic Bank and NBA Africa’s multiyear collaboration, which launched in 2022 and featured the unveiling of a new outdoor basketball court at St. Mark’s Orthodox School in Juba last December.



“The remarkable performance of the South Sudan national basketball team at the Paris Olympics highlighted the tremendous sporting talent within South Sudan,” said Stanbic Bank Chief Executive for Kenya and South Sudan Dr. Joshua Oigara.  “Through our collaboration with NBA Africa and the Luol Deng Foundation, we are supporting the country to build on this potential and remain committed to driving South Sudan’s growth through meaningful collaborations and initiatives.”

“The success of the first Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA league season in Juba speaks to the great passion for the game of basketball in South Sudan and its impact on local communities,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi.  “The South Sudan national team’s performance on a global stage in recent months demonstrated how much the sport is growing in the country and we look forward to further collaborating with Stanbic Bank and the Luol Deng Foundation to make the game even more accessible for young people here.”



“I knew South Sudanese children had what it takes when the stage is set right for their learning, so I was not surprised about the talent,” said Deng.  “What impressed me the most is the improvement in coaching and seeing how each school showed up to support players.  The joy, the competitive, but yet peaceful spirit that the spectating students showed was so amazing to see.” 

“This is my first visit to South Sudan, and it was incredible to see all the excitement on the court this afternoon,” said Ceballos.  “I have seen firsthand the impact basketball can make on young people’s lives and continuing to build on such platforms for boys and girls to play the game will be paramount to their success on the court, and in life.”



The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA is the league’s global youth basketball program for boys and girls that teaches the fundamental skills and core values of the game – teamwork, respect, determination and community – at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.  The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program has been launched in 19 African countries, reaching more than 170,000 youth from across the continent last year.

 

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
Tags:Stanbic Bank, National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa and Luol Deng Foundation Celebrate First Jr. NBA/Jr. Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals in South Sudan
Bookmark and Share Email Email to Friends Print Print
0
Comments(0)
Please Sign In  or Register  to post a comment.
UserName:
Password:

 
Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Linkedin African Music
Push
Post a New Story from your Account, then Vote for it Here by clicking Push



Most Popular
Latest Forums
Latest Polls
Links
Tags
    Nigeria    Kenya    
South Africa    Ghana    
Africa's Top 10 National Parks    The Cost of an African Safari Adventure: From Budget to Luxury    Chol Tut Nyang Emerges as Africa’s Next Supermodel in Nairobi    Egypt    Ethiopia    
Zimbabwe    Uganda    African Development Bank    Africa    Tanzania    The newly appointed members of the Board of Governors of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) were inducted in the CBL Board Room on 1 August 2024    Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Has Issued a Directive to All Nigerian Banks    Test    Kenya a Hot bed of Investments    Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls "The Smoke That Thunders"    
Media Kit | Site Map | Help | Send Feedback | Contact us | User Agreement | Privacy | About us
Copyright © 2022-2024 "Africa Updates" All rights reserved