Like football and baseball, basketball is a sport that can be found all over the world. Vice-Chairman and President of the Toronto Raptors Masai Ujiri is also the founder of Giants of Africa – a non-profit organization focused on empowering the youth in Africa through basketball has announced the 2025 Giants of Africa Festival.
Set for July 26 – August 2, the festival will return to Kigali, Rwanda is looking to bring 320 young basketballers from 20 different African Nations where they hope to enthrall and entertain 20,000 spectators via community, culture, basketball, education, and entertainment.
Masai Ujiri spoke on the festival saying, “like these kids, I grew up on the continent. As Africans, we know the landscape of what the kids go through. We know they dream just like we did and it really inspires me because, those kids have so much more talent and intelligence, they have ways to communicate now that we didn’t. This festival is about showing them there is a path. We want them to never stop dreaming.”
Professional NBA and WNBA coaches will be on hand to offer assistance and lead training sessions for the players.
The week’s events will also include a round-robin tournament with a championship and an All Star Game.
The week long festival will open with a performance from DJ Uncle Waffles, choreographer Sherrie Silver, and Rwandan entertainer Kevin Kade.
Along with the music the Giants of Africa Festival will include a Threads of Africa Fashion Show celebrating culture and fashion across Africa.
The young basketballers will get their chance to “strut their stuff” at the Kigali Sports City’s BK Arena, Amahoro National Stadium, Petit Stade, and Paralympic Gymnasium venues where they can show their full potential as a part of the sport and entertainment in Africa.
The Giants of Africa Festival will also host the grand opening for Zaria Court – a new mixed use arena that includes an 80 room hotel, sports bar, basketball court, an event space, retail outlets, gym, a , five-a-side football pitch, and outdoor public areas.
Like the athletes from across the continent; so is the music, the Closing Concert includes performances from Nigerians Afrobeats artist Kizz Daniel and Timaya.
A number of celebrities are also scheduled to appear during the festival including Chris Tucker, Candace Parker, Robin Roberts, Chiney Ogwumike, Didier Drogba, Michael Blackson, and Boris Kodjoe.
Additional entertainers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The Giants of Africa Festival was first established in 2003 and includes hosting basketball camps and building courts across Africa. They also teach basketball fundamentals and provide mentorships for the youth.
A continent of many nations, the Giants of Africa Festival includes young athletes from Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Gabon, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, Morocco, Botswana, and South Africa.
Tickets for the Giants of Africa Festival opening and closing shows are on sale now at http://www.goafestival.org/
Feature photo taken from the Giants of Africa Festival page