Giants of Africa (GOA), the youth basketball charity established by NBA executive Masai Ujiri, has competed in Europe for the first time after entering a team in the adidas x ALBA Next Up Women’s Basketball Tournament in Berlin.
The four-day competition runs from 3 to 6 September and features eight teams. GOA’s players are scheduled to meet opponents representing Australia, Hungary, Indonesia, Spain, Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
The delegation consists of eight young women from Ethiopia, Gabon, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania. All previously took part in GOA’s annual festival programme and are competing as a combined team of festival alumni rather than as a single national selection. Democratic Republic of Congo coach Melissa Diawakana is in charge, assisted by Nigeria’s Adetokunbo Ijomah, while Gabonese coach Geraldine Robert is also included on the staff.
The Berlin visit is part of GOA’s Women’s Empowerment Programme, identified by the organisation as a central element of its work to promote gender equality. For some members of the squad, the tournament is also their first experience of travelling beyond Africa.
GOA will play three group fixtures across the competition’s first three days. The schedule then moves to crossover games on the final day, followed by an awards event and the presentation of the trophy. The players are also due to watch games at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which is taking place in Berlin at the same time.
Established in 2003, Giants of Africa delivers basketball-court construction projects, camps, clinics and coaching initiatives in countries across the continent.
Ujiri was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2013 and helped shape the Toronto Raptors team that won the 2019 championship. He first played basketball in Nigeria before building an international career in scouting and front-office management. He has recently taken up the positions of Team President and Alternate Governor of the Dallas Mavericks.
