The Basketball Africa League (BAL) in collaboration with FIBA Africa and Hennessy, the world-renowned cognac brand, is set to host a networking event, “BAL IN” on Feb. 9 at the FIBA Regional Office in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
This event aims to offer an exciting experience for sports enthusiasts, basketball fans, and cognac lovers, providing an opportunity to engage with the two iconic brands.
BAL and Hennessy, which share common values of unity, unforgettable experiences, and celebrating African culture, will celebrate Africa’s cultural resonance across basketball, fashion, music, art, and design through various experiences, including tasting, mixology, and cultural festivities.
The aim of the “BAL IN” experience is to strengthen the league’s connection and engagement with fans across the continent and beyond, including the African Diaspora.
BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall expressed excitement about the increasing momentum across Africa and the world, especially among the African Diaspora, and highlighted that the “BAL IN” event in Abidjan celebrates African sports industry excellence and offers networking opportunities for industry stakeholders in line with the BAL’s commitment to catalyzing the growth of a vibrant African sports, entertainment, and lifestyle ecosystem.
The General Manager Southern Africa and Marketing Director Africa Middle East at Moët Hennessy, David White, shared Hennessy’s enthusiasm for the upcoming BAL season, especially with the addition of South Africa to the host markets this year.
He invited fans to enjoy both the games hosted across the continent and the cultural festivities celebrated beyond the court.
The 2024 BAL season is set to kick off on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, featuring the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing a record 48 games across Pretoria, Cairo, Dakar, and Kigali over four months.
This will mark the first time the BAL games will be played in South Africa and the first time games will be hosted in four different countries. Fans can register their interest in tickets to games in all four markets at BAL.NBA.com.
During the 2024 BAL season, the 12 teams will be divided into three conferences of four teams each, with each conference playing a 12-game group phase.
The top two teams from each conference and the top two third-place teams from across the three conferences will travel to Kigali for four seeding games followed by an eight-game, single-elimination Playoffs and Finals.
The announcement of the 12 BAL teams, conferences, game schedule, and additional information about the 2024 BAL season is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
