Africa-Press – Rwanda. Officials from NBA Africa and the Ministry of Sports on Friday, May 24, visit took their Basketball Africa League for Women (BAL4Her) camp at Shooting Touch Rwanda in Nyamirama, Kayonza District, gathering over 3,000 elderly mothers.
BAL4Her is organised by the Basketball African league (BAL) in partnership with FIBA Africa and in collaboration with Shooting Touch Rwanda (STR).
The initiative is part of BAL’s commitment to promoting gender equality among basketball enthusiasts and local stakeholders.
NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi speaks during the BAL4Her event in Kayonza District-Olivier Mugwiza
Prior to the main activity, the gathering discussed the theme of ‘Women Breaking Barriers,’ involving these older women in sports in their forties and encouraging young women to take a shot in their careers and break the challenges barring them from pursuing their dream.
Clare Akamanzi, CEO of NBA Africa, emphasized that BAL is not just for men as it also creates opportunities for women in officiating and other areas of the sport. She encouraged young girls to push past barriers and stay motivated.
“Keep pushing. Like in sports, as long as you’re encouraged and later see results, it makes you want more. That’s the mentality in sport,” Akamanzi said.
The BAL4HER activity also included sessions where mentors from different basketball and sports ecosystems, such as female referees and physiologists of different teams working hand in hand with BAL, shared experiences on how they broke barriers as ladies to achieve their glory.
BAL president Amadou Gallo-Fall explained that BAL4HER is becoming a platform to enable young ladies across Africa to share experiences, mentoring themselves to become great leaders for their families and seeking a great future.
“Today we’re here to let our achievers, through different personal stories, share their experience. Also, the young ladies learn from them and also get the opportunity to discover all the opportunities around for them,” Gallo-Fall said.
Launched in 2022 by a team of professionals to dedicated to promoting gender equality through sport across Africa, the ‘BAL 4HER’ project aims to close the gender gap in access to economic opportunities and financial resources.
During the visit, visiting officials took a tour around the home courts of Shooting Touch Rwanda located in Nyamirama Sector to see how elderly mothers are practicing in basketball as part of keeping themselves healthy.
“I’m here to witness myself how our elder mothers practice basketball. Previously, your video trended on social media which made us, as the ministry, think of you and offer support. That’s why you are also invited to come to Kigali to watch a BAL game on Saturday,” Mukazayire said during the tour.
Mukazayire pledged her support towards the elderly women who continue to inspire the world that, no matter how old you are, sport can be a part of people’s life.
Hillarie Mukandutiye is one of the elderly women playing basketball at Shooting Touch. Defying the odds that she can hoop even at 69, Mukandutiye said her health has improved ever since she started playing basketball.
“So I would also like to encourage other young women to join sports because it will make them healthier, as we are,” she said.
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