USA - Mutombo to be honoured

WASHINGTON (NBA) - Former Georgetown University men's basketball player Dikembe Mutombo will receive another honor for his community service work this week when he is inducted, along with two other professional sports standouts, into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.

Mutombo, along with NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty and seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Edgar Martinez, will be enshrined for their humanitarian achievements on Wednesday, June 20 at its annual induction ceremonies in Boise, Idaho.

The Humanitarian Hall of Fame annually inducts individuals who are world-class in athletic ability, role models in their community and have a strong record of humanitarian efforts.

"The World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame is honored to include Kyle Petty, Dikembe Mutombo and Edgar Martinez among its fraternity of role models," said Larry Maneely, President, Board of Directors of the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.

"As humanitarians and community leaders they represent all that is good in sport and remind us of the importance of setting positive examples through community service for our peers and our youth."

Mutombo, 40, of the Houston Rockets is the Hall's seventh NBA inductee.

The eight-time NBA All-star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year recently concluded his 15th NBA season.

He previously played for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks.

Mutombo, who originally came to the U.S. on an academic scholarship to study medicine at Georgetown University, is being honored for his long-standing dedication to improving the health, education and quality of life for the people in his birthplace, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other parts of the world.

Through the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation (www.dmf.org), Mutombo has contributed some $15 million toward the $29 million cost of building the new 300-bed Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center in the capital city of Kinshasa.

His foundation also supports the International Polio Victims Response Committee in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and he is personally involved with the NBA's Basketball without Borders Africa initiative, the United for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign and CARE.

FIBA