Ex- NBA star, Gallo, sees bright future for African basketball

The President, Basketball Africa and Senior Vice President NBA, Amadou Gallo Fall, has predicted a golden age for African basketball when the continent will produce global top players and dictate the direction of the money-spinning sport. 

The Senegalese former NBA star made the disclosure in Kaduna while on a tour of Fifth Chukker/Access Bank Sport Academy where children of school ages are trained and mentored to be career sportsmen and women.

Gallo, who built and funded a basketball academy in Senegal where kids from less privileged background are taught and trained to become professional players, flew in from Dakar to inspire young trainees in a sister academy in Nigeria.

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“I am so proud and impressed by the quality of facilities and the training given to these kids who are the future of basketball not just in Nigeria but Africa and possibly across the continent.

“We will continue to fund, inspire and share ideas with such basketball academy and many others across Africa so that the continent will take her rightful place of someday leading and dictating the pace of the sport in the world.

“When you look around the world of basketball, you will see that players of African origin have dominated the game of basketball, even the NBA.

“With continuous funding and setting up of basketball academies such as this, we shall be able to change the narration in our favour so we can take the driver seats while others follow,” he assured.

A director of Access Bank, Tunde Folawiyo, reiterated the commitment of the bank to scout and assemble young talents for career paths in top global sports so young Africans could play and earn money for growth and development of the continent.

Project Manager Fifth Chukker/Access Bank Academy Abiodun Adegboye pointed out that Gallo’s presence at the training facility served as a source of inspiration for the young students who said they wanted to become great players like him in future.