Boost for African sports tourism as African Basketball League is launched

UNITING AFRICA THROUGH POPULAR SPORTS

(Posted 11th March 2016)

Wakanow, Africa’s leading online travel agency with headquarters in Lagos / Nigeria, was among the first to throw its weight and influence behind the formation of the new African Basketball League when it was formally launched a few days ago.
One of Wakanow’s founders and owners, Mr. Obinna Ekezie, is of course no stranger to basketball, having played in the NBA and Ugo Udezue, the CEO of ABL, too is a retired NBA player.
The league, according to information received from Lagos, will start with teams in Libreville, Abidjan, Dakar and of course Lagos but plans to have as many as 30 teams from across Africa in the space of the next five years.
Corporate Africa, always with a keen sense of opportunities for branding and growing their business through alignment with key events, promptly joined Wakanow. Union Bank, ASKY Airlines, Cornerstone Insurance, Cruz Vodka, The Beat 99.9FM, Pulse NG and even Lagos State have since the announcement come on board and more sponsors are presently negotiating deals with ABL www.ablafrica.com
Besides soccer, in Africa known as football, which is arguably the most popular sport with matches being shown on satellite tv systems from England over Germany and from Spain to Italy, has basketball also captured the attention of Africa’s sports fans. Many African players have made a name for themselves in the NBA and the dominance of African American players has created an almost cult status for the NBA in Africa, something the ABL is now ready to build on.
The commercial component, like merchandising, will give African manufacturing a boost as the ABL is committed to source from within Africa for Africa, a model which no doubt will increase loyalty and support from across the continent.
Uniting Africa through sports and benefiting Africa’s continental tourism industry through fan travel, a novelty worth bringing to the world’s attention.