Ghanaian boxing icon, Azumah Nelson, has sent a goodwill message to countries that will be participating in the fourth edition of the Africa Basketball Festival (ABF), urging them to put forth their best efforts and make the event a success.

The highly-revered Azumah Nelson, who launched the event on Thursday, expressed confidence in the event being successful and serving the purpose for which it was created.

“I want to wish all the teams well and encourage them to give off their best,” he said.

The launch, held at the University of Ghana basketball court, saw defending champions Ghana being paired with Liberia for the opening game of the tournament.

Categorized into two groups, the African group features Ghana, Liberia, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria, while the international group includes China, Great Britain, France, and the United States of America.

In response to the draw, the skipper for the Ghanaian team welcomed the challenge of defending the title they won last year.

"We are hopeful of retaining the title. We are preparing very well for the challenge ahead, and we have the men to give us the results."

Commenting on the event scheduled for October 24 to 27, 2024, Yaw Sakyi Afari, the Chief Executive Officer of RITE Sports, who are the organizers, stated that the expansion of the tournament is indicative of his outfit's commitment to making it more entertaining.

He assured a great experience, disclosing that it would be a fusion of fashion, music, and sports, with some of Ghana’s leading sporting, fashion, and music personalities making appearances.

A key feature of the event which many people are looking forward to is the basketball match between the University of Ghana and the Ghana Communication Technology University

The event, which has been part of the Ghanaian event calendar for the past four years, has sponsorship support from brands like Indomie Noodles, GTS Drilling Ghana, GoldGod Entertainment, and GLICO General Insurance, among others.

EK