US committed to support sports development in Morocco

The United States of America is committed to supporting the development of sports in the Kingdom of Morocco, said Friday in Salé the U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires David Greene.

The Morocco-US cooperation in the field of sports and youth involves several programs for young people to strengthen their capabilities, especially in leadership, the US diplomat said at a ceremony to announce the participation of AS Salé in the inaugural season of the NBA Basketball Africa League (BAL).

The launch of the BAL is the culmination of a long process, the diplomat said, commending the efforts of all stakeholders to make this sporting event a reality and be held for the first time in Africa.

For his part, the president delegate of AS Salé Abderraouf Bentaleb said that this ceremony reflects the strength of cooperation relations between Morocco and the United States in several areas, including sports.

For his part, former NBA star Sam Vincent stressed that US Basketball authority is keen to further develop cooperation with Moroccan basketball.

The involvement of the NBA in this competition will allow young generations to develop their sporting and personal skills, according to the former star of the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, and Chicago Bulls.

The BAL is a pan-African competition organized and sponsored by the NBA and supervised by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). It was originally scheduled for March 13, 2020, but was postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The NBA Basketball Africa League will kick off in Kigali on May 16 with the participation of 12 African teams, while the final is scheduled for May 30.