Ujiri, Giants Of Africa Unveil 47th & 48th Built Within B’ball Courts In Sierra Leone, Guinea
MASAI UJIRI AND GIANTS OF AFRICA UNVEIL 47TH AND 48TH BUILT WITHIN BASKETBALL COURTS IN SIERRA LEONE AND GUINEA
Giants of Africa, a non-profit founded by sports executive and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate Masai Ujiri, has unveiled its 47th and 48th community basketball courts as part of its Built Within initiative. Launched in 2021, Built Within is Giants of Africa’s commitment to building 100 community basketball courts across the continent.
On April 16, 2026, Giants of Africa unveiled its 47th Built Within court at the Murialdo Institute of Entrepreneurship, Technology and Management in Kissy, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Underscoring the organization’s commitment to gender equity and long-term community impact, the unveiling was preceded by a women’s coaching clinic. The event was attended by Augusta James Teima, Sierra Leone Minister of Sports and Amara Babila Keïta, President of the Sierra Leone Basketball Federation. Kissy is home to more than 20,000 residents, many facing economic hardship, with a population largely comprised of women, children, and the elderly.
This same week, Giants of Africa unveiled its 48th Built Within court, and second under Dribble for Peace, at Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry in Conakry, Guinea. The event was followed by a women’s coaching clinic and attended by Masai Ujiri, Giants of Africa Board Member Ramatu Ujiri, Dr. Facinet Conté, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation in Guinea, and Amara Babila Keïta, President of the Guinean Basketball Federation. Guinean artist Lil Saako also performed at the unveiling ceremony. As the largest university in the country, UGANC is central to shaping Guinea’s next generation of leaders. Both courts were built thanks to a donation from FORTA Advisors.
Last month, Giants of Africa announced Dribble for Peace, the latest phase of Built Within, which expands the initiative into the Sahel region, focusing on communities facing ongoing conflict, instability, and environmental decline. Through Dribble for Peace, Giants of Africa builds on its existing presence in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal, while expanding into Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, South Sudan, and Sudan for the first time.
Of these new court openings Masai Ujiri reflected; “Opening courts in Sierra Leone and Guinea is a milestone for Giants of Africa and for my family. This is our first time working in these countries, where my wife’s roots run deep, and that connection makes this moment especially meaningful. We hope these courts become spaces where young people can dream big and believe anything is possible.”
Now nearing the halfway point of Built Within’s 100-court goal, Giants of Africa has expanded the initiative to 15 countries across the continent. Additional court unveilings are planned for May.
