The Afrobasket Women’s 2023 conclusion in Kigali marked Nigeria’s triumphant victory yet again. Nigeria achieved an unblemished record with a team predominantly comprised of players born and trained in the United States. Amidst this highly competitive tournament, several unforeseen outcomes emerged. The victories of Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea over Angola, Uganda’s triumph over Senegal, and Rwanda’s remarkable win against Cote d’Ivoire were inconceivable in past tournaments.
Contrary to expectations, the traditionally dominant teams, such as Cameroon and Angola, failed to reach the quarterfinals or semi-finals. Conversely, Rwanda and Uganda advanced to the semi-finals and quarterfinals, respectively. These two teams showcased remarkable technical and tactical prowess, spotlighting a few standout players. Destiny Promise Philoxy and Janai Crooms Robertson excelled for Rwanda, while Jannon Jaye Otto shone for Uganda. For Senegal, Cierra Dillard demonstrated technical prowess and leadership in scoring.
Philoxy, Crooms, Dillard, and Otto all share a common background: they were born in the United States and honed their skills within the American basketball system. Their technical fluidity, alongside that of the Nigerian players, underscored the disparity between players trained in the United States and those developed through African basketball systems. Addressing this discrepancy and cultivating technically adept players with solid fundamentals remains critical.
Despite the considerable human potential inherent within its youthful population, African basketball grapples with fostering players adept in essential technical skills such as dribbling, passing, long-range shooting, etc… Drawing upon my perspective as a former basketball player and coach, I would like to emphasize several key points that can contribute to the cultivation of players with robust fundamentals and agility:
- Establish national training frameworks capable of equipping coaches to impart fundamental skills from an early age.
- Enhance the availability of suitable balls for practice sessions, enabling players at all levels to develop foundational skills. During the initial stages of training, every young player should have access to age-appropriate basketballs.
- Develop facilities that facilitate widespread participation in basketball among children in urban and rural settings under the guidance of proficient instructors and coaches dedicated to teaching the sport’s fundamentals.
- Expand the pool of eligible young players for selection by extending basketball practice beyond capital cities and urban hubs. Augmenting the number of participants will elevate the overall quality of the player pool.
- Establish basketball courts equipped with basketballs, training resources, and community volunteer mentors, facilitating secure game practice and proper technical instruction near children’s residences.
A thoughtful approach to broadening access to basketball to millions of young individuals, adequately guided by well-trained coaches, is imperative. Otherwise, Africa will continue to dream of its potential while admiring the individual successes of Africans in the NBA, WNBA, NCAA, and similar leagues.
Gerard A. Akindes