Last year the Basketball Africa League (BAL) announced the 12 club teams from 12 African countries that will compete in the league’s inaugural season, but it was later postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Following the recently eased restrictions, BAL has announced the inaugural season will kick off from May 16 at the Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. Twelve teams from across Africa will compete in the new professional league until the final game which will be held Sunday, May 30.
The news comes after BAL and Wilson unveiled the official Game Ball that will be used for the season.
The official BAL game ball was specially designed for the BAL and features the league’s primary logo and social media handle (@theBAL). The secondary league logo, a continent icon featuring “Inspire, Empower, Elevate,” are also displayed on the ball. Made of 100 percent composite leather, the official game ball integrates the Evo NXT construction, Wilson’s latest technology featuring an enhanced grip and a soft, moisture-minimalizing feel.
Champions from the national leagues in Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia earned their participation in the inaugural season. The remaining six teams, which come from Algeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique and Rwanda, secured their participation through BAL qualifying tournaments conducted by FIBA Regional Office Africa across the continent in late 2019.
The BAL groups and additional details about the league will be announced in the coming weeks.
Share your thoughts on this article and join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
