Basketball Africa League Unveils 12 Teams For First Season

New York, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2020 ) :The Basketball Africa League unveiled on Saturday the 12 teams that will open its inaugural season on March 13 at Dakar, Senegal.

BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall showed off team uniforms in Chicago, where NBA All-Star Game activities are being conducted ahead of Sunday's showdown of elite talent.

Six national league champions were given spots in the inaugural BAL campaign -- Angola's Petro de Luanda, Egypt's Zamalek, Morocco's AS Sale, Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers, Senegal's AS Douanes and Tunisia's Union Sportive Monastirienne.

Six others advanced through qualifying events conducted last year by FIBA Africa -- Algeria's Groupement Sportif des Petroliers, Cameroon's Forces Armees et Police, Madagascar's Gendarmerie Nationale, Mali's AS Police, Mozambique's Ferroviario de Maputo and Rwanda's Patriots.

"This is a historic moment as we welcome the 12 teams that will participate in our inaugural season," Fall said. "These teams have earned the opportunity to represent their respective countries and will establish the BAL as a world-class product that entertains fans of all ages."Each team will play five regular-season games, one each against conference rivals in contests taking place at three cities.

Inaugural BAL regular-season games will be staged in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Lagos, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; Monastir, Tunisia and Sale, Morocco, with the top-four teams in each conference advancing to a single-elimination championship tournament at Kigali, Rwanda.