100 youth basketball players benefit from elite training at Jr. NBA M-Pesa Elite Top 100 Camp
The camp was a culmination of the Jr. NBA M-Pesa regional tournaments which have been running in the country over the last two months
A total of 100 top youth basketball players from across the country on Monday benefited from elite training and development programme courtesy of the NBA (National Basketball Association) and M-PESA.
This was during the first Jr. NBA M-Pesa Elite Top 100 Camp held at Aga Khan Academy Mombasa with a focus on nurturing the talent and growth of the young athletes through skills development, 3×3 scrimmages, a 5v5 tournament as well as scouting opportunities.
The camp was a culmination of the Jr. NBA M-Pesa regional tournaments which have been running in the country over the last two months, aiming to nurture grassroots talent and elevate the future of Kenyan basketball.
The tournaments, which were held in Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu, featured about 2,000 players from which a majority of the 100 participants were selected from. The NBA through its scouting network and in collaboration with the KBF as well as the Ministry of Education also identified top talents to participate in this camp from outside the 4 regions where tournaments were held.
The Jr. NBA M-Pesa programme featured a coach’s clinic to start the program and has engaged over 10,000 boys and girls through regional tournaments and roadshows. The program has also featured Financial Literacy classes through M-Pesa Go enabling participants to not only nurture their basketball skills but to also learn fundamental financial skills early in life.
NBA Africa – Kenya Country Lead Michael Finley, meanwhile, acknowledged the success of the tournament, saying, “We promised, and we delivered. Today, together with M-PESA, we hosted the top 100 young players for an Elite Camp to enhance their skills development. We also had scouts on the ground, and I believe some incredible talent has been identified.”
The first edition of the M-PESA Jr. NBA engaged with more than 10,000 boys and girls through games, NBA Fit clinics, and life-skill seminars on financial literacy by M-PESA Go.
