Closing out 2023, Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEED) Academy Ghana hosted 50 of West Africa’s top under 18 male basketball players at their Elite 50 Basketball Camp in Accra, Ghana from Dec. 26-27.

In addition, SEED Academy Ghana and Basketball Africa League (BAL) hosted 50 female players at a BAL4HER U23 identification camp and 37 coaches from Ghana, Togo and Cote D’Ivoire at a BAL Advance coaching clinic.

The BAL4HER U23 identification camp is part of a series to identify 20 of the top female players from across Africa who will participate in a five-day camp in Kigali in conjunction with the 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals.

SEED Academy Ghana, founded by former NBA player Pops Mensah-Bonsu, supports and enhances the development of basketball, coaching and infrastructure of the sport in Ghana and West Africa, as well as provides mentorship and coaching of future basketball talents from the region.

“At SEED Academy Ghana, we focus on youth empowerment, community service, work and life-skills training for student athletes. With programs such as the Elite 50 and BAL4HER, we are empowering young women and men as basketball players and future leaders of the continent,” said Mensah-Bonsu, who also serves as President of the New York Knicks’ G-League Operations.

SEED Academy Ghana’s collaboration with the BAL and the BAL4HER initiative highlighted both entity’s efforts to promote gender equality and equity through basketball. The 50 players who participated in the BAL4HER U23 ID Camp also received on and off-court development and career guidance tips.

The BAL Advance coaching clinic offered a forum for coaches and stakeholders from the region to learn from renowned basketball coaches and experts while expanding their knowledge of various facets of the game, including player development, scouting, game planning, and strategy. As part of the event, all the coaches participated in the “Change My Community, Change My World” pitch competition, offering individual solutions on how they can impact their communities.

“We were excited to partner with the BAL to co-host the BAL Advance clinic. Taking time to nurture the coaches with necessary teachings and insights will directly enhance the sport's growth and structure in the region, as we envision coaches will use their improved comprehension to impact far more players in their communities than we were able to interact with at the camp,” added Mensah-Bonsu.