Douglas Emhoff, United States (US) Second Gentleman has called for concerted efforts to fight gender discrimination in sports.

He said in advancing the status of women and girls in society, requires a shared responsibility involving everyone, especially in the fight against gender discrimination.

“There is power in allyship,” Douglas Emhoff, who is Ghana with his wife, the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, said at an all-girls Jr. National Basketball Association (NBA) Clinic at the Bukom Sporting Arena in Accra.

The Second Gentleman said: “The empowerment of a woman is about an investment in the future of our countries around the world because when you lift up women, you lift up the status of families, of communities, of economies and all of the society benefits.”

The Jr. NBA is the NBA and (Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) global youth basketball participation programme for boys and girls around the world. 

The Jr. NBA teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches, and parents. 

Through this, the programme helps boys and girls to develop a lifelong passion.

Douglas Emhoff, a basketball lover, and Ghana’s Minister for Youth and Sport, Mustapha Ussif, joined the young girls numbering about 60, in a ball handling, passing and dribbling warm-up and defence session.

He said when young girls and women were lifted in sports especially, their confidence and self-esteem were bolstered.

Sports, the Second Gentleman noted, provided young girls with the courage needed to take on the challenges of the world believing in themselves that they could do anything – “anything that you set your minds to”.

“I want every young girl out there to know this, we believe in you. You can do anything you want in this world. And you can get out there whether it’s on the field, court and play the game just like anyone else – you can do it,” Douglas Emhoff, a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, said.

Gender discrimination in sports, he stated, remained deeply entrenched and unfortunately tolerated around the world.

Douglas Emhoff said the phenomenon was wrong, and that sports must play a vital role in addressing gender inequalities.

The Second Gentleman said sports bridged cultural, ethnic and social barriers and that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were committed to working with their partners in Ghana and around the world to advance rights and opportunities for women and girls in sports. 

Mustapha Ussif, Minister of Youth and Sports, said the focus of basketball development in Ghana had been largely on boys, with girls’ participation largely on the peripheral at various levels. 

To have such a big grass root clinic focusing on girls, he said, was a timely step by the NBA, and clearly underlined the commitment of NBA Africa to help the development of basketball in Africa right from the basic level significant in any sports development.

Victor Williams, Chief Executive Officer, of NBA Africa, said NBA’s connection to Africa was evident every time one turned on an NBA game. 

He said currently, there were more than 50 players either born in Africa or with at least one African parent in the NBA and the WNBA.

“Last month at the NBA all-star weekend, at the NBA all-star weekend, Africa’s progress, its beauty, and its limited potential to the global audience were showcased through a strong Africa representation on the court and various shows and events,” Victor Williams added.

Thrilled to be back in Ghana to host its first all-girls Jr. NBA Clinic in Ghana, the NBA Africa CEO noted that the visit was part of its decade-long collaboration with the U.S. State Department that had seen more than 60 current and former NBA and WNBA players, coaches and team personnel travelling to more than 20 African countries as part of its Sports Envoy Programme.

Victor Williams explained that the Jr. NBA had been a cornerstone of NBA Africa’s youth development programming to help further its commitment to empowering and creating more opportunities for young girls.

“We see the future of our continent through the eyes of young women and would continue to invest in them as they have through the Jr. NBA programmes, NBA Academy Africa Women’s Camps, BAL for Her Workshop and the Her Time to Play initiative which encourages connections, collaborations and active engagements through the game of basketball.”

Through those investments, he expressed optimism that the NBA would elevate and inspire the next generation of African women leaders.

Astou Ndiaye-Diatta, WNBA Legend, advising the girls to be steadfast in the game, said she defied some odds to become who she had become because of basketball. 

According to the Detroit Shock forward, basketball provided her education and allowed her to meet amazing people, adding that with such amazing people, there was a possibility to become a great leader even after basketball.

“Basketball, I wasn’t supposed to play, because I was too masculine. I was supposed to be home cooking and I couldn’t do both, but I ended up doing both and at the highest level.”

She expressed excitement to see the young girls undergoing training and workshops at their age, saying “these clinics allow young ladies like you to know that anything is possible through sports.”

“Because at some point, the ball will stop bouncing but when it stops, the value that this game will put in your life, you can’t measure. So, keep playing, keep dreaming high and big.”