By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today the appointment of Anibal Manave as President of the Board for the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa scheduled to begin play in January 2020.
The NBA had earlier announced Amadou Gallo Fall in the top executive position of the BAL.
“We are extremely pleased to appoint Anibal Manave and Amadou Gallo Fall to these key positions in the BAL’s leadership,” said FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis. “They are the ideal personalities to successfully lead this innovative project. Following their appointment, the BAL feels a lot closer to becoming a reality.”
The announcement of the NBA and FIBA teaming up to launch the BAL – marking the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America – was made at the NBA All-Star 2019 Africa Luncheon in Charlotte on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Anibal Manave, a Mozambican native, is FIBA Africa Vice-President, FIBA Africa Zone 6 President and a member of FIBA’s Central Board.
Over the course of an illustrious career, he has been involved in just about every aspect of basketball in his country and on the African continent.
A former player, coach and commissioner, he was president of Mozambique’s Basketball Federation (FMB) from 1997 to 2005.
As part of his presidency of the African region’s Zone 6, he oversees basketball operations, activities and the sport’s development across 10 countries – Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe – in the southern part of the continent.
In 2017, he was elected president of Mozambique’s National Olympic Committee (CONM).
Source: FIBA