Gallo, Folawiyo, Atta Lift Kaduna Sports Academy

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, dictate the rule and direction of the money-spinning sport. 

He said with sustained investment in basketball, top class coaching of youngsters and continuous career mentorship of potential players from tender age, the sky would be the limit for the African continent to unleash her potentials of becoming leaders in one of the top sporting events.

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 on Tuesday to inspire Young trainees in a sister academy in Nigeria.

“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.

Gallo, CEO of African Basketball Academy charged former players and stars to dedicate and invest resources, time and energy into mentorship and training of young Africans to pursue careers in basketball and other top sports.

Chairman of Coronation Merchant Bank, Tunde Folawiyo,  reiterated the commitment of the bank to hunt 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.

 Fifth Chukker/Access Bank Academy founder Adamu Atta 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.

“We are grateful to Amadou Gallo who had invested so much to see young Africans turning out to be great professionals in basketball.

“His visit will go a long way in building and sustaining a synergy between our academy and the one he built in Senegal in terms of cross-pollination and exchange of talents,” Atta stated.