Special Afrobasket '07: FIBA Afrique Sec. Gen., Dr. Bile goodwill message to teams

FIBA Afrique Secretary General, Dr. Alphonse Bile has congratulated all the twelve participating countries in the 20th African Championship for Women here in Senegalese cities of Dakar and Thies.

The FIBA Afrique bigwig told the website of the continent's basketball ruling body, www.fiba-afrique.org Monday that it is a honour to be counted among the twelve top women national team in Africa.

He, however, urged the teams to live up to the billing as been among the best teams in the continent by playing good and quality basketball irrespective of the number that will eventually made it to the knock-out stages.

Dr. Bile appeal to member federations to always support their national teams and clubs that qualifies for continental and global engagement for the continuous growth of the game in the continent.

“It is good thing to have all twelve participating countries here present, I want to state categorically that it is a thing of joy to the host and the continental body that there was no boycott by any of the countries, but I want to urge them further to put up a good basketball show in their group games even if it is only eight teams that will eventually made it to the quarter-finals.

“I also want to use this opportunity to thank each member federations of FIBA Afrique for supporting their countries to be in Dakar but I want to urged them to do more for both national and clubs that qualified to fly their country's flag in continental or world championship, for the task of taking basketball to greater height in Africa should be a collective one”, he concluded.

FIBA Afrique