Basketball in Africa

A call has gone out to respective basketball federation in the continent to give women basketball equal opportunity as men.

Speaking in a brief chat with www.fiba-afrique.org in Dakar Wednesday during the 20th Africa Championship for Women is FIBA Afrique Zone-2 president, Henri Gomes from Cape Verde.

The one time Secretary General of Cape Verde Basketball Federation is bitter that in spite of the successes women basketball has brought to the continent the sector still get less attention than the men.

“The level of women basketball in the continent is low and this affects the standard and performance of national teams and club at major championship, even at that women basketball has brought lots of honour to Africa, a good example is the Nigeria women national becoming the first to win an Olympic Games match even when they qualifies for the first time and Nigeria and Senegal good showing at the last FIBA World Championship in Brazil.

“All hands must be on deck for the game to move out of its present stagnate position, federation should design and encourage competitions for women clubs whose players sometime form the bedrock of respective countries national team, competitions from cadets to senior level.

“Intra and Inter zone competitions should be encouraged not just the one-off club championship.

“I am happy on one hand that two of the three countries from my zone – Senegal and Mali are doing well at the 20th Africa Championship for Women but sad that my own country, Cape Verde have nothing to show for their efforts.