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Basketball Africa League to host extra events during 2022 playoffs and finals

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The Basketball Africa League (BAL) Saturday announced a series of youth development, community service and business events that will take place during the 2022 BAL Playoffs and Finals, which tip off today at Kigali Arena in Rwanda and will culminate with the second BAL Finals on Saturday, May 28 at 12:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. CAT.

Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), New Fortress Energy (NFE), RwandAir and Visit Rwanda will collaborate with the BAL to support events and activations throughout the week.

The BAL’s roster of world-class partners includes Foundational Partners NFE, Rwanda Development Board (RDB), NIKE, Jordan Brand and Wilson; and official partners Air Senegal, Attorney General Alliance (AGA) – Africa, Destination Senegal, Envol City and Hennessy.

The single-elimination BAL Playoffs will feature the top eight teams from the league’s Sahara and Nile Conferences group phases hosted in Dakar, Senegal (March 5-15) and Cairo, Egypt (April 9-19), respectively. Tickets for the BAL Playoffs and Finals are on sale now in several categories, including group tickets, premium tickets and standard tickets. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting BAL.NBA.com/BAL-kigali-ticketing.

Below are highlights of the week’s events and activations:

Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD)

The BAL will collaborate with AFD to promote “Alley-Oop Africa,” an original docuseries and awareness campaign for African youth that highlights how sports and athletes can drive positive behavioral change in support of sustainable development, health and gender equality. Twenty boys and girls from seven African countries took part in the recording of the docuseries in March 2022, several of whom will participate in youth development and basketball activities during the BAL Playoffs and Finals. The docuseries will air later this year with additional details and distribution plans to be announced at a later date.

RwandAir

Returning as the Official Airline Partner of the 2022 BAL Playoffs and Finals, RwandAir is facilitating travel to and from Kigali for BAL teams, staff and guests.

BAL Environmental Day of Service

The first BAL Environmental Day of Service projects took place at Umusambi Village in Kigali from May 19-20. Seven BAL teams attended the event, where they explored the Umusambi Village and planted tree seedlings as part of the league’s Three for Trees initiative in partnership with NFE. For every three-pointer made during the BAL season, the BAL and NFE will donate three trees to be planted in the home country of the BAL team with the most made three-pointers throughout the season.

BAL4Her

The third BAL4Her Day, in partnership with Visit Rwanda, will take place tomorrow and bring together 50 young women from six local organizations to take part in a workshop and networking session with female leaders from the sports industry focused on building careers in sports. The workshop will include a panel discussion with NBA Vice President and Country Head of Nigeria Gbemisola Abudu and group discussions with 13 females across the sports industry. After the workshop, participants will take part in a networking session with BAL staff before receiving a VIP game-day experience at the Zamalek – S.L.A.C game.

BAL Coaches Clinic

On Sunday, May 22 and Monday, May 23, Indiana Pacers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce and Detroit Pistons assistant coach Bill Bayno will lead a BAL Coaches Clinic for more than 70 basketball coaches from the local community. The clinic will offer tools and strategies to help the coaches enhance their player basketball development curriculum. Coaches who are unable to attend in-person can also join the clinic via Zoom by registering here.

BAL Innovation Summit

The inaugural BAL Innovation Summit in conjunction with Africa Day on Wednesday, May 25 will bring together African leaders from business, entertainment, sports, social entrepreneurship and beyond to discuss the enormous growth opportunities on the continent. The event, which will be held at the Kigali Convention Centre, will highlight the creative identities of Africa through the lens of arts, culture, heritage, business and innovation, and mobilize the individuals who have the power to unlock opportunities and build toward a stronger and more connected Africa of tomorrow.

BAL Elevate Showcase

The inaugural BAL Elevate Showcase will feature top prospects from NBA Academy Africa taking on the U-23 Rwanda National Team at Kigali Arena on Friday, May 27 at 9:30 p.m. CAT. The game, which will showcase the next generation of African players, will air live in Africa on ESPN Africa, Canal + and Visionary TV, in the U.S. on ESPN+, and around the world on NBA TV International. The game will also livestream on the NBA App, NBA.com and NBA.com/BAL.

In the opening game of the 2022 BAL Playoffs, Angola’s Petro de Luanda (4-1) will take on Morocco’s AS Salé (3-2) at 8:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CAT, followed by Rwanda’s REG (4-1) against Cameroon’s F.A.P (2-3) at noon ET / 6 p.m. CAT. The quarterfinals will continue tomorrow with Tunisia’s US Monastir (4-1) facing South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers (2-3) at 8:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CAT, followed by defending BAL champion Zamalek of Egypt (5-0) against Guinea’s S.L.A.C (2-3) at noon ET / 6 p.m. CAT.

Winners of the quarterfinal matchups will meet in the semifinals on May 25 for the chance to advance to the 2022 BAL Finals, which will air in Africa on ESPN, Canal+, VisionView TV and Voice of America (VOA) radio, and around the world on American Forces Network (AFN), ESPNews, NBA TV International, Tencent Sports, TSN, the NBA App, NBA.com and NBA.com/BAL.

FIFA and Maurice Revello Tournament partner for world first time

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FIFA and The Maurice Revello Tournament (International Festival Espoirs) are collaborating for a unique refereeing milestone, during the 48th edition from 29 May to 12 June 2022.

For the first time at a national men’s team competition, all twelve match official trios will be exclusively women. The trios are candidates for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ and will oversee all 26 matches.

The initiative is part of FIFA’s Road to Australia/New Zealand project, to prepare referees for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup. Most recently, another historic first saw six female officials appointed for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Kari Seitz, Head of Women’s Refereeing at FIFA said: “This very special competition will give the referees a chance to officiate at another high level event where they can showcase their skills in the hope of being selected for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“It is important to use every minute of this important competition to prepare referees mentally, physically and technically. This is especially important given the devastating effects of COVID and the loss of nearly two years of training and preparation together. This important new relationship with the Maurice Revello Tournament could not have come at a better time.”

For three weeks, the 36 participating referees from 21 different countries will attend specific daily training sessions, video match analysis sessions, as well as officiate at the matches.

Alain Revello, President of the Maurice Revello Tournament added: “Nearly fifty years after having the idea of bringing together the best young talents of the football world to the South of France, this tournament is preparing for a new milestone in its history.

“While many players who played at tournaments past like Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinédine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Jean-Pierre Papin, Hristo Stoichkov, Dani Alves and David Beckham among many others, have become standard bearers of this game (examples), we very much look forward to seeing the women who will be centre stage and set to shine in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, during this 48th edition.

“Personally, I would like to thank Kari Seitz for putting her trust in us. This tournament, watched worldwide by fans and observers from the world’s biggest clubs, finally offers the opportunity to put men and women on an equal footing.”

FIFA announces match officials appointed for World Cup Qatar 2022

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FIFA Referees Committee has announced the lists with the names of the selected match officials for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Total of 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials have been chosen in close cooperation with the six confederations, based on their quality and the performances delivered at FIFA tournaments as well as at other international and domestic competitions in recent years.

“As always, the criteria we have used is ‘quality first’ and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide,” said the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina.

“The 2018 World Cup was very successful, partly because of the high standard of refereeing, and we will do our best to be even better in a few months in Qatar.”

The “Road to Qatar 2022” project started already in 2019, with more than 50 trios considered possible candidates and going through intensive preparation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this preparation was anything, but easy, as in-presence activities were suspended for a long period.

“The pandemic affected our activities, in particular in 2020 and at the beginning of 2021. Luckily, the World Cup was still quite far, and we had enough time to provide the candidates with good preparation. We are announcing these selections well in advance as we want to work even harder with all those who have been appointed for the FIFA World Cup, monitoring them in the next months. The message is clear: don’t rest on your laurels, keep working hard and prepare yourselves very seriously for the World Cup,” said Collina.

Massimo Busacca, FIFA’s Director of Refereeing, ensures the match officials will receive all the necessary support by FIFA, as their preparation is paramount.

“Thanks to an innovative tracking and support programme, all the match officials can be supervised by FIFA referees’ instructors even more closely and intensively than in previous years. This is a very important factor, from which we expect considerable improvements and progress in view of the FIFA World Cup 2022,” explained Busacca. “In addition to that, there will be tailor-made individual programmes, in particular concerning health and fitness. Each match official will be carefully monitored in the next months with a final assessment on technical, physical and medical aspects to be made shortly before the World Cup, in order to have them in the best conditions when the ball starts rolling in Qatar.”

The selected match officials will participate in early summer in several seminars (Asunción, Madrid and Doha), reviewing and analysing video clips of real match situations, and taking part in practical training sessions with players, which will be filmed to enable participants to receive instant feedback from the instructors.

“The key focuses of the preparation remain protecting players and the image of the game, consistency, uniformity, reading the game from a technical and tactical perspective and understanding a variety of player and team mentalities,” added Busacca. “We can’t eliminate all mistakes, but we will do everything we can to reduce them.”

The VAR system was implemented for the first time ever at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and four years later, a team of 24 video match officials (VMOs) will operate in Qatar, ready to provide their team-mates on the pitch with technological support, if needed. Due to the very limited number of FIFA member associations having implemented the VAR system at the time, VMOs for Russia 2018 were mainly selected from Europe and South America. Today, the VAR system is used in all major competitions worldwide and VMOs from Asia, Africa, as well as Central and North America will also participate in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

For the first time in the history of the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Referees Committee has also appointed three women’s referees and three women’s assistant referees.

“We are very happy that with Stéphanie Frappart from France, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan, as well as assistant referees Neuza Back from Brazil, Karen Díaz Medina from Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt from the USA, we have been able to call up female match officials for the first time in the history of a FIFA World Cup. This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments. In this way, we clearly emphasise that it is quality that counts for us and not gender. I would hope that in the future, the selection of elite women’s match officials for important men’s competitions will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational. They deserve to be at the FIFA World Cup because they constantly perform at a really high level, and that’s the important factor for us,” concluded the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina.

NBA Africa and KFC Africa Announce Marketing Partnership

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The NBA Africa and KFC Africa Tuesday announced a marketing partnership that will see NBA Africa and KFC Africa collaborate on a number of promotions and activations for basketball fans across eight countries on the continent: Botswana, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania.

Through the partnership, KFC Africa and NBA Africa will launch co-branded product campaigns, limited-edition merchandise giveaways, and limited-edition KFC x NBA promotions, including the opportunity for basketball fans to win tickets to live NBA games in the U.S. and complimentary access to NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service. Additional details about the promotions will be announced at a later date.

“We are proud to announce this exciting partnership between our iconic KFC brand and one of the most epic sports brands in the world,” said KFC Marketing Director, Rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, Emmanuel Kasambala.

“As a brand that has been on the continent for 50 years, we are passionate about connecting with the youth at the touchpoints that really mean something to them. So, beyond the extremely cool products and merchandise we will offer, we have longer-term plans to inspire the youth to achieve more in life through basketball. We are exploring various grassroots basketball initiatives, like the refurbishment of courts, and basketball clinics in communities. It is about inspiring and enabling the youth to reach for, and achieve, their dreams.”

On his part, NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams said;

“We are excited to partner with KFC Africa to launch a series of fan-centric activities and promotions as part of our efforts to provide compelling ways for basketball fans across the continent to engage with the NBA.”

“We want to meet our fans where they are and make the game of basketball more accessible, and through this partnership with one of the world’s most iconic food brands, we look forward to reaching new and existing fans and providing them with more opportunities to experience the NBA.”

KFC has been in Africa for over 50 years and has over 1200 restaurants across South Africa and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.

NBA Africa is a standalone entity that conducts the NBA’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and was formed in May 2021. The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2010 before opening additional offices in Dakar, Senegal, and Lagos, Nigeria.

Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau to host FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 draw

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FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura and New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson have today announced that Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau will host the Draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on Saturday, 22 October 2022.

Taking place in Aotea Centre, the Draw will reveal the match fixtures for the 32 teams competing in the ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand in just over a year.

The globally televised draw show will include cultural performances and insights into the five Australian and four New Zealand Host Cities that will welcome teams and football fans, as well as many surprises.

Speaking at today’s announcement in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau, Minister Robertson – who is also the tournament’s lead minister – said it would be a real privilege to have the Draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Aotearoa.

“Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau will not only host the tournament’s opening ceremony and opening match featuring the Football Ferns on 20 July 2023, but will now also host the draw.

“The draw is an internationally significant event in its own right. It provides an opportunity for New Zealand and Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau to showcase our culture and traditions to a global audience.

“Today’s announcement also starts to create excitement as the draw reveals which teams we’ll be hosting in New Zealand.”

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura stated: “Preparations are well underway in Australia and New Zealand to welcome the world’s largest women’s single-sport event. The official draw in October marks an important milestone for teams and fans in the countdown to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

“We are excited about the influence and potential of this tournament to inspire and encourage more girls and women to get involved in football and we look forward to the draw setting the stage for the FIFA Women’s World Cup to reach Beyond Greatness.”

An exciting few months of qualifiers lie ahead for fans before the draw takes place. Teams from across Africa, Central and North America, South America and Oceania will secure qualification berths for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 through several confederation tournaments taking place from July to October.

Ten teams will also compete for the final three slots at the Play-Off Tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 next year.

FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola kicks off global journey in Dubai

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FIFA World Cup winners Iker Casillas and Kaká send original FIFA World Cup Trophy on global journey that will include all 32 qualifying countries for the first time.

Original FIFA World Cup Trophy was unveiled at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena before it embarks on its fifth journey, travelling to 51 countries and territories.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola kicked off on Thursday with a first-stop event in Dubai, where former FIFA World Cup winners Iker Casillas and Kaká came together to send the original FIFA World Cup Trophy on its journey around the world ahead of the tournament later this year.

“As football fans around the world gear up to support their teams, Coca-Cola is thrilled to offer fans the opportunity to experience the trophy ahead of the tournament,” said Brad Ross, Vice‑President of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Partnerships at The Coca-Cola Company.

“The real magic of the FIFA World Cup exists with fans believing in their teams and showcasing their passion for the game.”

Starting today, Coca-Cola is inviting fans to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the most recognised symbol in football and experience the real magic of the world’s largest and most anticipated single-sport event – the FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola will stop in 51 countries and territories, bringing Coca-Cola and FIFA one step closer to the goal of visiting each of FIFA’s 211 member associations by 2030.

For the first time ever, the tour will visit all 32 countries that qualified for the FIFA World Cup, inspiring fans across the world through exclusive consumer experiences.

“The FIFA World Cup Trophy is one of the greatest symbols in sport,” said Romy Gai, FIFA’s Chief Business Officer. “Bringing it on tour gives us a unique opportunity to shine a spotlight on the fantastic communities around the world who love the beautiful game. The trophy tour – which will end back in Qatar, our amazing hosts – highlights our commitment to making football truly global as we realise the dreams of our fans and bring the joy and excitement of the FIFA World Cup to their doorsteps, together with our long-standing partner Coca-Cola.”

FIFA World Cup winners Iker Casillas and Kaká shared their passion for the game at the first‑stop event in Dubai.

Kaká said: “It is an incredible honour to be part of the first stop of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola. My first FIFA World Cup as a player was when I was just 20 years old, and it is still fresh in my mind – for me, it was a dream come true.”

Added Iker Casillas: “It was the highlight of my career when I lifted this very trophy as captain of Spain in 2010. And it is exciting that someone will have that feeling in Qatar later this year. It fills me with great pride to join all of you today, as we kick off the journey of the FIFA World Cup Trophy, bringing it to the fans across the globe.”

The FIFA World Cup is an iconic competition followed by billions around the world.

FIFA statement on complaint made by Chilean Football Association

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As recently confirmed by FIFA, the Chilean Football Association has lodged a complaint with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in which it made a series of allegations concerning the possible falsification of documents granting Ecuadorian nationality to the player Byron David Castillo Segura.

The association also pointed out the possible illegibility of the said player to participate in eight qualifying matches of the national team of the Ecuadorian Football Association (FEF) in the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Bearing the above in mind, FIFA has decided to open disciplinary proceedings in relation to the potential ineligibility of Byron David Castillo Segura with regard to the above-mentioned matches.

In this context, the FEF and the Peruvian Football Association have been invited to submit their positions to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

Further details will follow in due course.

FIFA diversifies gaming, launches new non-sim football games alongside EA SPORTS franchise

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For the first time, FIFA will launch new football video games developed with third-party studios and publishers, providing more choice for football and gaming fans in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™.

A number of new non-simulation games are already under production and will launch during the third quarter of this year. The first is a tailored gaming experience featuring the biggest event on earth, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which will bring new, interactive experiences to fans across the globe.

Following this initial unveiling, FIFA will launch further games and virtual experiences around this year’s FIFA World Cup. Additional projects are also under discussion with publishers ahead of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, said: “I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans. The FIFA name is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25 and FIFA 26, and so on – the constant is the FIFA name and it will remain forever and remain THE BEST.”

“The interactive gaming and esports sector is on a path of unrivalled growth and diversification. FIFA’s strategy is to ensure we can make the most of all future options and ensure a wide range of products and opportunities for gamers, fans, member associations and partners.”

Alongside the new games, FIFA has granted a new short-term extension to existing publisher EA SPORTS to launch a new FIFA 23 title later this year, which will feature the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup competitions in one edition for the first time.

The recently confirmed extension with EA SPORTS is a new arrangement that grants rights for the simulation football category only, freeing up broader gaming rights for FIFA and different gaming publishers to launch new games and more deeply immersive experiences for fans and football stakeholders.

This new, non-exclusive licensing model follows on from an extended period of discussions between the parties relating to FIFA’s future gaming vision. As announced in October 2021, FIFA intends to work with a range of partners rather than lock up all gaming and esports rights exclusively with one publisher for the long term.

As well as launching a portfolio of new games during 2022 and 2023, FIFA is currently engaging with leading game publishers, media companies and investors in regard to the development of a major new FIFA simulation football game title for 2024.

FIFA’s new gaming model has been developed in parallel with FIFA+, the recently launched direct-to-consumer media platform.

FIFA Appeal Committee passes decisions on Brazil v Argentina WC qualifier

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The FIFA Appeal Committee has taken decisions on the appeals lodged by the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) against the decisions issued by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on the abandoned Brazil versus Argentina match in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers on 5 September 2021.

After analysing the submissions of both parties and considering all circumstances of the case, the Appeal Committee confirmed that the match would be replayed and also upheld the fine of CHF 50,000 that was imposed on both associations as a result of the abandonment.

With respect to the parties’ deficiencies in terms of their responsibilities and/or obligations in connection with the match, the Appeal Committee decided:

to reduce to the amount of CHF 250,000 the fine imposed on the CBF with respect to infringements related to order and security;

to reduce to the amount of CHF 100,000 the fine imposed on the AFA with respect to its failure to comply with its obligations in relation to the preparation of and its participation in the match.

The decisions passed by the Appeal Committee were notified to the parties concerned today.

President Kenyatta Congratulates Inaugural Nairobi City Marathon Winners and Participants

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President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday commended winners and participants in the inaugural Nairobi City Marathon for making the event a great success.

The marathon attracted over 10,000 participants in the four categories of 42 km marathon, 21 km half marathon, 10 km race and 5 km fun race in which First Lady Margaret Kenyatta participated.

The President said the marathon, dubbed Uhuru Classic, marks the beginning of putting the country’s capital city on the international map as a destination for one of the greatest marathons globally.

“Kenya, as you all know has always been known as the home of champions. But today we are not just the home of champions, we are also attracting champions from across the globe to come and participate with us in various sporting events,” President Kenyatta said.

Runners taking part in the inaugural Nairobi City Marathon on Sunday, 8 May. Photo /Credit

The President spoke at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi County after presenting prizes to winners at the end of the inaugural marathon whose route mostly covered the newly constructed Nairobi Expressway.

President Kenyatta pointed out that Kenya’s position as one of the best sporting destinations in the world is buoyed by its renowned athletics talents and the infrastructure the Government has put in place.

“Yesterday, we were in Kasarani stadium at the Kipchoge Keino Classic which attracted world and Olympic champions, again because of the infrastructure that we have developed.

“We are very hopeful and we are indeed well prepared that in 2025 we will have the pride and pleasure of hosting the first world athletics championship to be held on the African continent,” President Kenyatta said.

Apart from athletics, President Kenyatta expressed satisfaction that Kenya is increasingly becoming a destination for hosting other sports.

“And it is not just in athletics where we have begun to slowly attract the international attention. In a few weeks time, we will be hosting the second edition of the East African Safari Rally. Kenya is now on the map and has also been part of the European tour in the golf circuit. Our rugby players are also making us proud – both men and women,” the President said.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Dr Amina Mohamed said the Uhuru Classic Nairobi City Marathon has thrust Nairobi City into the league of world famous destinations of city marathons such as New York, Tokyo, Chicago and Berlin cities.

“Today Your Excellency is a very special day for our country and for the African continent with the successful hosting of the inaugural edition of the Uhuru Classic Nairobi City Marathon. It is the first in our country, the first in our continent and the first in most of the Southern Hemisphere,” the Cabinet Secretary said.

She thanked First Lady Margaret Kenyatta for her support, guidance and accepting to participate in the marathon adding that Kenyans admired her commitment and support to sports in the country.

“Your Excellency, I speak for many Kenyans when I say they all admire your fitness, your passion for sports and are always excited to watch you running. You have motivated many to start running,” said CS Amina.

On his part, the President of Athletics Kenya, Lt. General (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, thanked President Kenyatta for supporting the marathon.

Present were Cabinet Secretaries James Macharia and Margaret Kobia, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and Sports Permanent Secretary Joe Okudo among other senior Government officials.

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