FIBA Africa Zone 3 , Jordan Nwora Foundation, New York Square, Ghana Basketball Association open a new vista in youth development
The Jordan Nwora Foundation (JNF) has organized Basketball Camps annually for Boys and Girls between the ages of 14-18 in collaboration with FIBA Africa Zone 3 across countries in the Zone since 2021.
with the support of FIBA Africa, Multiple Camps have been held in cities like Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, Accra, Ghana and Makurdi, Abuja, Lafia, Lagos and Onitsha, Nigeria.
Some talents discovered at these camps have secured basketball scholarships to foreign and local institutions among other benefits.
Three Camps were once again held in 2024; in Port-Novo/Cotonou, Benin Republic (4-6 June), Tamale, Ghana (14-16 June) and Awka, Nigeria (21-23 June).
The success of these camps has been bolstered by partnering with other organizations to provide some logistics at each centre. For the camp held in Ghana, Africa witnessed a first of its kind collaboration which culminated in the construction of a basketball court and borehole for the local community in Tamale, Ghana, by one of the partners, New York Square, while Jordan Nwora Foundation provided all the materials and also handled the camp’s technical aspect with support from FIBA and Ghana Basketball Association.
With respect of the Ghana event, President, FIBA Africa Zone 3, Col Sam Ahmedu (Rtd), stated that, “ It became necessary to explore the idea of each party contributing resources towards achieving the overall objective.
The construction of a borehole and basketball Court for the local community opens up a new vista in youth development”.
He added that, “ besides acquiring basketball knowledge during the JNF Camp, the folks of Tamale have been blessed with a borehole and basketball court, The Dr. Baba Sampanah Memorial Court, which is an everlasting legacy by the donors”.
Dr Baba is a late Ghanian Basketball legend who groomed a lot of youngsters in basketball in Tamale, Ghana, in years gone by.
It is instructive to add that FIBA Africa office in Abidjan provided balls for the camp in line with its commitment in supporting basketball developmental activities across its jurisdiction.
While developing their skills, camp participants learnt valuable life lessons and built lasting friendships on the newly dedicated court whose Uprights were constructed by Nigeria’s and Africa’s own Opeyemi Babalola – Webber Engineering The mission to promote youth development, healthy lifestyles, and community building through sports was achieved with flying colors.
Daniel Isaacs, Founder and CEO of New York Square, remarked, ” it is a blessing to be part of this historic partnership, which I hope will serve as a model for the future of Sports in Africa”.
He added that, “New York Square, in collaboration with FIBA Africa Zone 3 and the Jordan Nwora Foundation is dedicated to using sports as a vehicle to provide structure, support, guidance and mentorship for the youths of Africa.
WNBA legend, Rushia Brown, who mentored the youths during the camp remarked that, ” it was such an honor to be part of the court dedication. To see the gratitude in the faces of the youths and the opportunity of impacting their lives during the camp was life changing for me.
“Our focus includes inculcating in the youths the benefits of clean water, health and well-being, quality education and gender equality. Overall, I look forward to more opportunities”.
“Partnering with organizations like New York Square which has similar objectives like ours remains a key objective of the JNF”, says Coach Alex Nwora.
“This underscores why our Foundation has been collaborating with FIBA Zone 3 to run camps and uplift under privileged youths within the Zone with the support of FIBA Africa.
Hence I am highly delighted with our unique collaboration with New York Square, which has provided an infrastructural legacy of a borehole and a basketball court for the benefit of the youths and folks of Tamale.
It is a win-win for all concerned and JNF looks forward to more similar partnerships across Africa.
The final Word from Mr. Issah Maigah, Head of the Northern Region Basketball Association of Ghana sums it all.
“ I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to New York Square organization led by Mr. Daniel Isaacs for constructing the first community basketball court and a borehole in Tamale, Ghana.
“This humanitarian gesture has brought immense joy and opportunities to the local community and we are truly grateful for the thought and effort put into the project.
“I would also like to express my appreciation to Col Sam Ahmedu for his tireless work on this project which is now a reality. His dedication and commitment to the development of basketball across Africa are truly inspiring.
“The new basketball court has provided a safe and accessible space for young people to engage in physical activity as well as fostering a sense of community among the residents of Tamale.
“It is a testament to the power of collaboration and the positive impact that can be achieved through the efforts of organizations like New York Square, JNF and FIBA AFRICA ZONE 3, with support from our big brother GBBA.
“I believe that this opportunity given to us will be extended to other localities as this unique collaboration is also felt across Africa. And for all others who worked tirelessly to make this happen, thank you for your generosity and for making a positive difference in the lives of those around us’’, he concluded.
