Africa-Press – South-Sudan. NBA Africa and Stanbic Bank on Wednesday launched the construction of a modern basketball court in Juba.
The construction of the youth basketball league court kickstarted at St. Mark’s Orthodox School in Munuki. The court has a slab area of 34 meters in length by 19 meters in width.
Speaking to Eye Radio after the groundbreaking ceremony on July 19, Arek Ajou Deng, the Chief Executive Officer of the Luol Deng Foundation said the facility will benefit over 30 different schools in Juba.
Ms. Deng describes basketball as a tool to build relationships and fosters a sense of unity among different communities in South Sudan.
She said the stakeholders to the initiative want to see a healthier society where children learn how to compete, learn from losses or win and learn how to play with other people from different background.
“The important thing is having kids being able to play while they are school because we look at schools as places for study. But growth means you have a balance of life,” she said.
“Other things that kid learn from sports are all the things that we do in all our programs, you learn to work with other people, you learn to work hard, you learn to compete, you learn to accept losses and learn from losses or win.”
“You also learn how to be a better communicator and learn how to play with other people no matter what background they come from, you learn to listen to instruction from your coaches, you just learn to be part of a healthier community.”
For his part, Mr Fred Ouko, Head of Business at Stanbic Bank said they have invested in nurturing the talent of young people in South Sudan over the years.
“We have been able to do this through our social, economic and environmental initiatives and implement critical programs under our foundation,” Ouko said.
“Sports has emerged as an important weapon for peacebuilding and educational change in South Sudan that is why we want to highlight how basketball can bring people together and promote social cohesion.”
“We look forward to collaborating on future projects and we are delighted to support Luol Deng Foundation’s objectives and to build opportunities through sports development.”
Meanwhile Patrick Makur, the Managing Director of St. Mark Orthodox Primary and Secondary School also welcomed the construction of the youth league Court in his school.
He said the facility will benefit many students not only in his school but in other parts of Juba.
“It has become real, so I am very happy to see the court in St. Mark because I have the children here, they are going to benefit and not St. Mark alone.”
“We have many schools here in the area of Munuki and Gudele, they are going to benefit from this project.”
The project is part of the partnership between NBA Africa, Luol Deng Foundation and Stanbic Bank in forming the first ever NBA Youth League in South Sudan.
Stanbic Bank in South Sudan and NBA Africa announced in September 2022, a multiyear collaboration to support youth basketball development in South Sudan by launching the country’s first Junior NBA League, hosting Junior NBA clinics and building an outdoor court in Juba.
The Junior NBA is the league’s global youth basketball program for boys and girls that teaches the fundamental skills and core values of the game – teamwork, respect, determination, and community – at the grassroots level.
It also helps grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches, and parents.
So far, the Junior NBA program has been launched in 15 African countries.
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