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She responded by saying:

"The three key challenges facing basketball in Africa are; the lack of professional administrators, the lack of infrastructure and the poor development of local coaches with experience. These factors significantly impact the development of the game in Africa. The clubs' and federations' infrastructure are by men who have no experience in sports or business development. Some teams have to train outdoors or indoor gyms that are barely functional, and getting your hands on one basketball can be challenging. There is also a lack of coaching education programs for local coaches across the continent. Most players have to take their development into their own hands."

"In recent years, there have been positive developments to tackle these issues. You now see diverse and younger federations and club boards with business/sportssavvy individuals taking the helm."

"To make basketball more accessible, more courts and stadiums are being constructed. The NBA, FIBA and private organizations are organizing coaching clinics across Africa."

"Coming from a more secular society, it was challenging to be in countries where religion dominates every aspect of life. There was also the concept of time which was frustrating at first."

"African time" is a real thing and something I constantly joke about. If I want training to start at six pm, I'll tell the players that practice begins at fivethirty. This experience has taught me to stop living my life according to a watch and slow down and relax to appreciate the time we have."

"My focus is on continuing to be a part of the development of the game in Africa. There is a lot of talent and potential in every aspect of the sport on the continent."

Photo via Free Use Liz Mills.2023

"To be a part of the development of the game has not only been rewarding for me as a coach but also as a person off the court."

"I owe a lot of my success to the continent and I will forever be indebted for the opportunities it has given me. There is nowhere else in the world would I be able to do what I've done. Other leagues should be looking at the Basketball Africa League (BAL), by adopting its strategies on inclusion and diversity."

"I will forever be grateful to the fans and supporters I have across the continent. I have been embraced by the African basketball community and that is why I will always represent the teams I coach here to the best of my ability. And also promote African basketball across all my platforms."

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