A look back at the FIBA Africa Regional Youth Camps in Madagascar, Morocco and Senegal

 

ANTANANARIVO/SALY/CASABLANCA (Madagascar/Senegal/Morocco) - The conclusion of the FIBA Africa Regional Camp held in Madagascar, Senegal and Morocco left plenty of fond memories for the campers as well as coaching staff.

The camps had plenty to look out for and the participants made sure they took hold of the opportunities.

FIBA.basketball looks back at three camps:

MADAGASCAR

The Palais des Sports Antananarivo Madagascar was the starting point of the 2022 FIBA Africa Regional Youth Camp. In attendance was a group of 45 young basketball players (boys and girls) from 19 African countries.

At the end of the three-day basketball clinic, Malagasy Andrianjatovo Fenofitia Loic emerged as the Most Valuable Player from the boys event.

He also led the All-Star Five alongside Motondondo Michel (RD Congo), Inacio Anatole (Angola), Majok Paulino (South Sudan) and Tchamala Praise (RD Congo).

SENEGAL

The coastal city of Saly in Senegal was the next stop and this time around it was iconic given that it was specially designed for girls only.

The camp ended with Egypt's Salma Khedr unanimously voted the Most Valuable Player of the Camp.

The All-Star Five included Kipo Gisele (Cameroon), who emerged as the Best Defensive Player of the camp, Samake Fatoumata (Mali), Joan Rakoronahary (Madagascar), Doumbia Mable (Mali) and Diop Die (Senegal).

Coach Christelle N'Garsanet who was part of the camp's technical support for the camp noted: "This camp is special in so many ways because it is a way of life given my example. It afforded me the opportunity of getting an education with a degree and allowed me to be in a sport I love with a passion which is coaching basketball. I want the same for the girls."

Giving credence to the focus on the girls, Franck Traore, one of the NBA staff said this of the camp: "It's very important that the world knows that the NBA and FIBA are committed to developing women's basketball in Africa. We cannot ignore 50 percent of the population where we invest only in men's basketball and ignore the women."

MOROCCO

The final stage of the FIBA Africa Regional Youth Camp was held inside the prestigious Complexe Sportif Mohamed V arena with lots of fanfare and had 45 participants and 15 coaches drawn from 19 countries.

This final stage had plenty of expectations for the participants especially after having heard about the previous two legs of the event hosted by FIBA in partnership with the NBA and with the supervision of the Royal Moroccan Basketball Federation.

The camp was rich in training and technical exercises that were presided over by top NBA technical staff as well as legends of the game.

Africa's best talents aged 15-16, local coaches and others from all over Africa benefited from varied learning from the coaching team made up of renowned coaches and NBA coaches.

The conclusion of the camp left a bright future not only for the host federation but for the new rising African generation of basketball players.

As had been the case with the Camps in Madagascar and Senegal, All-Star game was played between Team White and Team Black with the All-Star Five emerging with Khairy Tarek (Egypt), Shahin Mohamed (Egypt), Naguide Quentin (Central Africa Republic), Mbodj Massaer (Senegal and Diakhate Sidy (Senegal) but amongst them emerged Khairy Tarek as the Most Valuable Player in the boys' category.

The All-Star five girls included Aya Elkalali, Christensen Oumaima, El Ghoumari Dounia, El Ouardi Siham and Belghiti Alaoui Alae all from Morocco. But Aya Elkalali was voted the Most Valuable Player.

FIBA