As Wooter Africa concluded their third season in Zanzibar, Tanzania the basketball league and 501(c)(3) non-profit organization put together a hard-fought and memorable season by proudly donning customized uniforms from Wooter Apparel that honored the rich history of Africa.
When the third season of Wooter Africa got underway in early December, the thriving basketball league based in Zanzibar, Tanzania was eager to show how the determination and drive to establish a lasting legacy in their community had quickly made an impact through sports in a short amount of time in East Africa.
Game in and game out, it was easy to tell this wasn’t going to be just another basketball season. After three years of helping get the league off the ground there was much more at stake here. An early season basketball tournament for men, women, and youth teams all outfitted in donated customized and colorful uniforms created by Wooter Apparel soon transformed into an action-packed regular season and memorable championship games. With teams like Stone Town, the Sixers, and the Africa Magic all raising trophies in the Finals the mission from the jump was clear and finally complete in Season 3. Establishing Wooter Africa as an official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was the focus that carried the league to greater heights and allowed for up and coming basketball players around East Africa to feel empowered while showcasing their natural basketball abilities in a more professional fit and feel.
Time To Shine: With the Sixers defeating Millennium Basketball in the Wooter Africa junior league championship game, the next generation of young hoopers was on full display in East Africa as they seized their opportunity to standout and reach the Finals.
For many players on the courts around Tanzania this was more than merely a bunch of basketball games listed on the schedule, particularly for the teenagers who competed in the junior league. Wooter Africa presented the opportunity to encourage and support the growth of sports in Africa by embracing teamwork and learning to grow together, on and off of the court.
“I thank Wooter Apparel for making this season and the organization possible with Wooter Africa. When the season first started I didn’t know if we could bring these teams up and elevate their play to where we took them. This is a huge moment for everyone who has witnessed and played a part in the league being a success,” said Wooter Africa league commissioner, Hamid Suleiman.
“I want to take this time to thank everyone for pushing this league to become a movement.”
That movement now entails looking ahead to Season 4 of Wooter Africa and the unyielding desire to give back in order to lift others up through basketball and sports in Africa. Joining Hamid Suleiman in honoring both players and championship teams and recognizing the work being done this season by Wooter Africa were representatives from the Urban Basketball Association, the Tanzanian Olympics Committee, and Wooter Africa committee members.
Supporting the community and athletes in Tanzania means not only running the in-season basketball tournament and games in Zanzibar, but also places a deeper emphasis on developing new basketball courts, running programs to boost the efforts of Wooter Africa, and providing basketballs and training equipment in underdeveloped communities. Looking back on Season 3, Wooter Africa proved to be rich experience and is already taking shape for Season 4 as the game of basketball continues to spread. And it’s only going to get bigger. Earlier this month, the NBA in conjunction with FIBA announced the launching of the Basketball Africa League with 12 teams tipping-off their season in March. The inaugural season of the BAL will take place over the course of seven cities hosting games in Cairo (Egypt), Dakar (Senegal), Lagos (Nigeria), Luanda (Angola), Rabat (Morocco), Monastir (Tunisia), and Kigali (Rwanda), with the Finals taking place in Kigali. While the NBA has hosted Basketball Without Borders camps and clinics throughout Africa since 2013, this venture between the NBA and FIBA signals a new era for the leagues and a long-term plan to support the growth of basketball in Africa and its players.
That love for the game is a feeling Wooter Africa knows intimately and has watched come to life with another passing basketball season in East Africa.