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00:00Hello and welcome to yet another edition of your weekly international current affairs program GlobeWatch from the Cameroon radio television with me Charles Ebune.
00:22And today we talk sports and one of the world's leading sports in particular basketball which of course is the world's largest organization with 213 member countries, territories and associations.
00:40And my guest today on GlobeWatch is the President of the Confederation of African Basketball Association, President Anibal Manave. Thank you very much indeed for talking to GlobeWatch.
00:54Thank you very much for this invitation and it's always a pleasure to talk with you.
01:00You are in Cameroon to attend the creation of a new African sporting association which has to do with all the sporting associations involved with Olympics. What is it all about?
01:19The last edition of All Africa Games, the South African, was terrible. Terrible in terms of planning and terrible also in terms of sports.
01:38These are our Olympic Games in Africa and we cannot organize just to organize. We need to have a purpose in terms of competition.
01:52And the last year the games didn't qualify for Olympic Games. So what we decided is to, in coordination with ANOCA, which is an association of Olympic Committee in Africa,
02:09the Confederation of Africa decided to meet and to create an association to coordinate with ANOCA the ways how can our All Africa Games can qualify for Olympics.
02:30So this is why we decided to meet here in Cameroon. President Kalkaba opened the door for us to come here and unanimously we appointed him as the first president of this association.
02:51This association is not against any association. It's just to complement what the other associations globally are doing and also is for us as confederation to have discussion of common interest, specifically how to qualify for Olympics.
03:15You know that every edition we are reducing the number of athletes and also the number of medals in Olympic Games. We as a confederation, African confederation, need to do something to revert this situation.
03:37Especially so because the number of African athletes who won medals in the Paris 2024 Olympics significantly reduced. So you want to see a place where there can be more synergy, more lobbying with the International Olympic Committee to have a fairer representation and to make African athletes have a better space.
04:00Exactly. And also to give opportunity to our athletes to compete high level in Africa. So we need to give value of our competition.
04:16We need to give, because if we give value to our competition, our athletes are going to stay, are going to compete in Africa. This is what we want. Because anytime if we want to compete high level, to qualify for Olympics, we go to Europe.
04:35And sometimes the cost of traveling and the opportunities there are not too much. So if we together, as you correctly say, we join our synergy in Africa, how can we approach this situation?
04:51We believe that we can have a better result in four years and this is what we have been here doing to give, as I say, opportunity to our athletes to win medals and also to qualify for Olympic Games.
05:11And one of the sporting disciplines taking part in Olympic Games since 1936 is basketball. And it is of no news to anybody that the greatest basketball players in the world yesterday, today and even possibly tomorrow are of African descent.
05:37What is the African section of the FIBA actually doing currently?
05:42First, in the last Olympic Games, basketball in general was, in general opinion, the best sport in the Olympics. And why was the best sport in Olympics? Because we have a lot of competitiveness in basketball.
06:05In the past, our African teams, they don't used to perform well. This time, we had Nigeria and women competing high level.
06:23They went through quarter final, but the draw is like this. So they have to play with the best team of the world, which is United States women national team of United States, which is the best team in the world.
06:45They are not losing for more than 10, 12 years. So this is why we lose. But Nigeria competed very well. Also, South Sudan beat too many European teams.
07:02So now Africa changed the paradigm. Now Africa is playing better. So this is why during Olympics, we have more countries with a lot of competitiveness.
07:18The second issue that I can say to you is that more of African players are playing in Europe, especially in United States. And because the talent is there, this is why they are some of the best in the world.
07:39So we are not anymore a continent that they come to take our players to oversee and just to be there to complete the number of players, but they are competing high level.
07:56The third aspect that is important is what we FIBA are doing in Africa. Basketball Africa League is the partnership between FIBA Africa and NBA is changing everything.
08:19Our players in Africa, they don't need to play high level in Europe. They are remaining a year in Africa. They have opportunity to play in Africa. They have more competition.
08:34One of the problems that we used to have in the past to compete with Europe is the lack of competition. But now with this partnership between FIBA and NBA, we are giving competition to our athletes.
08:52When you give competition to an athlete, it means that you need to have better coaches. So we have a program to training coaches. So all this development program that we have, now the result is what we have now.
09:11Better Africa teams, competing high level, and we hope that soon, soon, soon we can have a medal.
09:19Around the world, there are roughly 450 million people who play basketball as compared to the roughly 265 million of those who play football, making in terms of participation, basketball to be the world's largest gathering of talents.
09:41And as you rightly said, FIBA is coordinating with NBA, the National Basketball Association and the Basketball African League, which I will talk specifically in a moment.
09:53At the level of FIBA Africa, can you give me two or three programs that you are streamlining today to encourage young talents to be raised on the continent, remain here and blossom here?
10:10We are organizing youth camps. This weekend, we had a youth camp here in Cameroon.
10:21In Douala?
10:23In Douala, exactly. So all these youth camps, we are not doing just here, we are doing everywhere in Africa is to look for talents.
10:37We have different levels of youth camp. You have national youth camp. When we say national, we say local.
10:46I understand.
10:47We have regional youth camp that some talents from other countries are coming here to a certain value.
10:56Like the regional hop in South Africa?
10:58Exactly. And also we have continental youth camp. All of these are part of our development program.
11:09In the same time that we organize the youth camp for the athletes, also we have clinics for coaches.
11:18One of the biggest problems in Africa is the quality, the level of the coach. So we need massively to train our coach. So this is what we are doing.
11:32These two aspects and also including the competition of under-16 and under-18 are for us the key and this is why we have development.
11:54In the last month more or less, we had under-18 competition in South Africa. For the first time ever, we had 12 boys team and 12 girls team competing in the same country.
12:16You are heading towards gender parity at the level of basketball in Africa?
12:20Normally, sometimes we can achieve 12, but in girls, never. So this time, 12-12. And it was for us a fantastic tournament and it is a way to show the interest of the countries to develop basketball.
12:42One of the key problems which has plagued basketball in Africa for the past decades is that of infrastructure.
12:51When you look at the way governments are investing like Makisal did in Senegal with massive investments in basketball courts like Paul Kagame has done in Rwanda, at the Kigali Arena, just like you can have the Yaoundé multi-sports complex.
13:12When you look at all those initiatives which are government led and possibly those from the private sector like Ujiri is doing with his Magic Africa business, how much are you seeing is being invested in the development of basketball infrastructure on the continent today?
13:30I have another philosophy. Thank you to Kigali Arena, Dakar Arena and all other big arenas. All these arenas are important. Important why? Because we can play high level there and can be as an example for the other countries to do the same.
13:53But what we have to look at now is a small, medium-sized arena. This is what we want to do.
14:12And that is where people like Toronto Raptors Boss come in. I think that is what they are doing with a medium-sized arena.
14:19Yes. For example, in Kigali they renovate what they call a petite arena. It is an arena with 1,000 people. This is the arena that we want.
14:33With this arena, you have basic conditions for our athletes to play and also to compete very well in the national competition. As you correctly say, one of the weaknesses is the lack of infrastructure.
14:51In Africa, we have a lot of outdoor. What we need to do is to cover this. If there is too much rain, you can…
15:04To a professional indoor setting.
15:07But not big, as I said to you. It is 1,000-2,000 people. This is what we want that Africa invest on it. This is why we are in contact with some organizations to look for the possibility how they can help the development of infrastructure in Africa.
15:29You are working with sponsors?
15:30Not exactly sponsors. Partners. There are many ways of…
15:35Alternative financing?
15:37Yes, to finance, to make a PPP.
15:42Private partnership?
15:43Exactly. With clubs, for example, they can bring money, 1-2 million dollars, and they give you opportunity with this money for you to build an arena.
15:58And in 10 years, for example, you can pay back this money. Why you have to pay back? Because to this money, you are going to invest more, not only one, for example, but two, three, because others also want. So, this is one of the models that we are…
16:18In a moment, I will ask you a question about the Basketball African League. But first, this is a question I put to you the first time you and I met in Kigali in Rwanda. That should be roughly three years ago.
16:29The question of brain drain of the African talents in basketball who are living. And at that time, I asked you a question of Joel Embiid who was considering where to land finally. Now, he has landed in the US and, of course, he is an Olympic gold medalist.
16:46When you see such talents not playing for their national teams. Last time, you told me that it is a problem of national federation organization. Is it still the same? By the way, what are your thoughts about Joel Embiid?
16:58It's many problems.
17:28It's to keep our national federation better organized. Why I'm saying this? Because when you are better organized, you keep permanent contact with the players, you make a correct plan of preparation, you give them all the conditions that normally they have where they are.
17:58So, all of these are exactly important. We also, of course, there is other work that we need to do to convince the authorities need to convince this player to perform for their country.
18:15So, this is still more or less what I said before. But the good thing now is these players, they are more happy with the national federation now. Our national federation are better.
18:33I don't know if today Embiid can take the same decision to play to US. I'm not sure. Because Cameroon is performing well, is competing under 18 and in all the competition.
18:53Next year we have Afro Basket in Angola for men. Cameroon is one of the candidates. We are 100% sure that they are going to prepare very well, giving the conditions. This is what Sam Doukou and his team is doing today.
19:13So, it's more attractive to come to the national team. The others, they have to do the same. South Sudan is doing well. So, some of South Sudanese that played before in Australia, now they want to try to play in South Sudan.
19:35So, no matter, we don't need to cry. We need to react, to work, to be better organized, to give conditions to the athletes. Sure they will come.
19:48One of the five professional leagues of basketball in the world today, the Toa Arun one of course, known as the National Basketball Association, is the Basketball Africa League, which began its operation in 2019 under the leadership of Senegalese Amadou Galofal himself, a former basketball talent.
20:15How much of a value addition to basketball in Africa is that league?
20:46Because they need to send candidates to play the Basketball Africa League every year now.
20:51The teams are better organized because for you to play in the league, you need to have a certain condition, statutes, bank accounts.
21:02By becoming more professional.
21:07And also, you are hiring better coaches. You are hiring better players.
21:16All these players from the diaspora are back and all this situation is going to help at the end of what?
21:25The level of basketball in Africa, you see, is going to increase. The level of federation is going to increase.
21:34So, this is part of the system that we emphasize.
21:38So, this is a perfect project that we have and also we are competing in the World Cup, Intercontinental Cup.
21:48So, at the end of the day, why our players used to go…
21:52The last edition was last year in Asia.
21:55Yes, exactly, in Singapore.
21:57In Singapore.
21:58But at the end of the day, why our players used to go to third division of France, for example?
22:05Because there is no condition here. But now, they prefer to play Basketball Africa League.
22:12Let's look at the business or the economics of basketball on the continent.
22:17And I hang on with the Basketball Africa League.
22:20How much of economic dynamics have they added to the business of basketball on the continent?
22:27I see a lot of people being employed. I see a lot of coaches hired.
22:32I see a lot of professional basketball players coming to play in the leagues.
22:38Those who are based in the US, in Europe, Latin America and Asia.
22:42How is the ecosystem working?
22:45More hotels.
22:47More hotels being constructed.
22:49More hotels are there because we are playing, we are giving…
22:54With top standards.
22:55…opportunities to the transport of referees, players.
23:03The number of tourists coming to a country is increasing.
23:11So, at the end of the day, we need also to look at basketball as…
23:21…directly in the business, but more indirectly on the business.
23:26Because all of this is beneficiary to the country.
23:35You see, just to give you an example.
23:37Today, all countries want to watch the final, the play-off.
23:42You see, because the number of teams that you have there, the number of visitors, the number of…
23:50So, this is the economy.
23:53And this you give employee to people.
23:58But a part of it, this is what I used to say.
24:03More people want to open companies of sports.
24:12To organize such kinds of competition.
24:18Because you need to have certain skills to be part of this.
24:23And all of this, because don't forget that Basketball Africa League is not just a final.
24:29But it's the qualification process that you don't have an idea what's happened.
24:36Today, all countries are fighting to host this competition.
24:40The last question on Basketball Africa League.
24:43Maybe your personal thoughts on somebody like Amadou Galofal and how he's fared.
24:47And one of their programs is the Elevate program.
24:49That they try to get young talents to meet and then raise them.
24:53Some of them just signed to the NBA or so.
24:55How do you evaluate such programs and his personal initiatives, for example?
24:59I'm part of the process.
25:01As I explained to you, these Elevate players are coming from our youth camp.
25:08The national camp, after the regional camp.
25:11After you play, you have BWB.
25:17And from there you are picked to the academy and to develop.
25:24So this is...
25:26And these players also have opportunity to play in Basketball Africa League.
25:33So this is the way to develop.
25:37Everything is coordinated.
25:42We are not doing nothing just to do.
25:46It's a process that we need to follow to have players with high level.
25:55So this is very important about this.
25:57Maybe the last two questions.
26:00One, maybe your personal thoughts on one of the giants of basketball
26:06who passed recently of Congolese origin, Dikembe Mutombo.
26:12To you as the president of the Basketball...
26:16As the president of the Confederation of Basketball in Africa,
26:21how much of a loss does his demise constitute?
26:27It's a huge loss.
26:29Mutombo is...
26:31No one is like him in Africa in terms of basketball.
26:35He used to be our ambassador of basketball.
26:38He was an example, an iconic person.
26:42The guy who used to push the kids to play basketball, to follow their dreams.
26:51He gave to these kids what was his experience,
26:55how he became a professional player and what he's doing back to Africa.
27:02You see, this is why Mutombo was a big loss.
27:11You see, because Mutombo, all money he won in USA,
27:17now is being back part of this money to his community
27:22for the community to have the same opportunity that he had.
27:28The Olympic Games ended in Paris, France.
27:32We all saw the African performance.
27:34As the president of the Basketball...
27:37As the president of the Confederation of African Basketball,
27:42What is your personal assessment of African participation in that mega global event?
27:48It was good participation.
27:52We were not last.
27:55We were better than Asia teams
28:01and better than some South America teams.
28:07When we evaluate our performance,
28:09in the past, we used to be the last continent.
28:13But now, some Asia are not better than us
28:17and some South America also they are not better than us.
28:21So, this is very important.
28:23This is one of the indicators that show that we are developed in terms of basketball.
28:32We hope that for Los Angeles,
28:35we can have not only one African team but at least two.
28:39And talking about Los Angeles in 2028,
28:43of course, Africa will participate.
28:45I don't know how many athletes from the continent will participate.
28:49In Paris, France, there were roughly plus 10,000 athletes globally who took part in that event.
28:57But do you know that in Los Angeles, California in 2028,
29:02the King James version of basketball
29:06and when I talk of King James version,
29:08I'm simply referring to LeBron James,
29:10one of the world's greatest in the sport,
29:14will not be taking part.
29:17How do you see an Olympiad in basketball without LeBron James,
29:25as it will be the case in 2028?
29:28That is the only who starts coming.
29:31Everything has an end.
29:33Jordan was there.
29:36After was Kobe Bryant area.
29:39Now it's James.
29:41Certainly, we will have new talents.
29:46This is the good of sport.
29:48Courage, Joel Embiid.
29:50Yes, they will perform at a high level with better performance.
29:54Also in Africa, we will see some rising stars.
29:58Especially those coming from Petro-Alitico of Rwanda.
30:01Yes, in all countries of Africa.
30:04So we are very confident that we can get a medal in Los Angeles.
30:10Finally, is there any particular message
30:14as the president of the Confederation of African Basketball Association,
30:18a member of FIBA that you would like to give to member associations
30:24when it comes to basketball on the continent?
30:27The next World Cup, probably in 2027, right?
30:32Yes, what is important is we as Africans, we have to keep working.
30:36We are on the right way.
30:38We need to be patient.
30:41But the way that we are working is good, but we need to improve.
30:47And with that, we conclude the interview.
30:50The president of the Confederation of African Basketball Association,
30:54a member of FIBA, the Federation of International Basketball Association.
30:58Thank you very much indeed for being guest on our program.
31:02Thank you. It was a pleasure.
31:04You are welcome, Mr. President.
31:05See you soon.