First NBA Basketball School to be Launched in Morocco

According to a UM6P press release, the collaboration between these institutions will see the launch of the first NBA basketball school in Morocco and four Jr. NBA leagues, noting that this is the “largest youth basketball promotion program ever implemented by the League in the country”.

The signing ceremony took place at UM6P France in Paris, the university’s European branch, in the presence of UM6P President Hicham El Habti, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, NBA Africa Managing Director Clare Akamanzi and Basketball Africa League (BAL) President Amadou Gallo Fall.

This collaboration between NBA Africa and UM6P will be implemented by EVOSPORT, in collaboration with Act4Community, an entity of the OCP Group ecosystem. Together, says the same source, they will launch four Jr. NBA leagues that will benefit nearly 2,000 boys and girls under the age of 18 each year in Khouribga, Gantour, Laayoune and El Jadida, with basketball school to be set up in these four locations. More than 200 local coaches will have access to specialized training programs.

Quoted in the press release, Akamanzi emphasized that previous initiatives in Morocco “have brought about an incredible passion for basketball throughout the country”, noting that in collaboration with UM6P and ahead of the first African Basketball League games in Morocco in April, “we look forward to significantly strengthening our basketball promotion efforts in the country and offering thousands of young Moroccans the opportunity to learn and play basketball”.

For his part, El Habti said he was “delighted to be working with NBA Africa to introduce this innovative youth basketball program in Morocco”, stressing that at UM6P, “we believe in the power of sport to inspire and develop young minds”. 

This project, notes the press release, is a continuation of the collaboration between NBA Africa and OCP Group, which has set up Jr. NBA leagues in the cities of Benguerir and Khouribga. 

To date, NBA Africa has benefited more than 100,000 Moroccan youths and coaches through its basketball promotion programs, notes the same source.