NBA Africa (www.NBA.com) and University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), through its subsidiary EVOSPORT, today announced a new collaboration to support youth basketball in Morocco. The collaboration marks the league’s most expansive youth basketball development programming ever in Morocco and makes UM6P an official partner of NBA Africa.
UM6P is a Moroccan university that focuses on developing solutions to specific continental and, more broadly, global challenges. The university is engaged in economic and human development and puts innovation at the forefront of African growth. In alignment with this vision, UM6P has launched EVOSPORT, its subsidiary dedicated to sports development, with the ambition of contributing to the creation of a dynamic and sustainable Moroccan and African sports ecosystem.
The collaboration between NBA Africa and UM6P will be implemented by EVOSPORT, in collaboration with Act4Community, which is a part of OCP Group’s ecosystem. Together, they will launch four Jr. NBA leagues that will reach nearly 2,000 boys and girls ages 18 and under annually in Khouribga, Gantour, Laayoune and El Jadida, as well as Morocco’s first NBA Basketball Schools in all four locations. More than 200 local coaches will also participate in Jr. NBA Coaches Workshops in each city.
The announcement was made today at a signing ceremony at UM6P France in Paris, the university’s branch in Europe, by UM6P President Hicham El Habti, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi and Basketball Africa League (BAL) President Amadou Gallo Fall.
“We have seen firsthand through our previous initiatives in Morocco that there is incredible passion for basketball across the country,” said Akamanzi. “Together with UM6P and ahead of the first BAL games in Morrocco in April, we look forward to significantly expanding our youth basketball development efforts in the country and providing opportunities for thousands of Moroccan youth to learn and play the game.”
“We are thrilled to work with NBA Africa to bring this transformative youth basketball program to Morocco,” said El Habti. “At UM6P, we believe in the power of sports to inspire and develop young minds. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to foster innovation and contribute to the socio-economic development of Africa. Through EVOSPORT, we are committed to creating opportunities for young athletes to thrive and achieve their full potential.”
UM6P, as a key component of OCP Group’s ecosystem, has significantly contributed to the group’s long-standing commitment to sports development in Morocco. The collaboration with NBA Africa supports the youth targeted by the Act4Community program and reflects OCP Group’s corporate social responsibility aiming for sustainable and tangible improvements in living standards through job creation, entrepreneurship, culture and sports.
The announcement builds on NBA Africa’s and the OCP Group’s previous collaboration that has featured previous Jr. NBA leagues in the cities of Benguerir and Khouribga. NBA Africa has reached more than 100,000 Moroccan youth and coaches through youth basketball development programming to date.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
Contacts:
Pawel Weszka
NBA Africa Communications
pweszka@nba.com
+27 10 0072666
About NBA Africa:
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Johannesburg, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya. The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, NBA Stores, the BAL, and more.
NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015. The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that will tip off its fifth season in April 2025. Fans can follow @ NBA_Africa and @ theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.