BAL 2024: Epic Race Begins in the Kalahari
A Basketball Africa League (BAL) is about to begin its fourth season with an exciting spectacle at the Kalahari Conference. This year, 47 players from 10 African, European and American countries will participate in the first group stage. The tournament, which starts today, Saturday, March 9, 2024, in South Africa, promises to be a milestone in the history of continental basketball.
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The Fourth Season of BAL
The 2024 BAL season will feature the presence of the 12 best club teams from 12 African countries. These teams are ready to compete in a record 48 games. The competition will span several cities, including Pretoria, Cairo, Dakar and Kigali, marking the beginning of BAL on South African soil and its debut in four different countries.
In the group stage of the Kalahari Conference, four teams stand out: Cape Town Tigers (South Africa), Dynamo Basketball Club (Burundi), FUS Rabat Basketball (Morocco) and runner-up Petro de Luanda (Angola). The latter, in particular, carries with it the experience of four players with experience in the NBA and NBA G League, in addition to being from a PALOP country.
Additionally, the tournament will feature 11 former NCAA Division I players, four talented NBA Academy Africa prospects, and five FIBA Basketball World Championship participants. This meeting of stars promises to raise the level of competition.
Twelve NBA Academy Africa prospects will participate in the 2024 BAL season as part of the BAL Elevate program. Highlights include Khaman Maluach, from South Sudan, playing for the City Oilers (Uganda), and Ulrich Chomche, from Cameroon, who will represent the APR (Rwanda). Both have already left their mark in previous BAL seasons and are now looking to shine even brighter.
Broadcasts in 17 Languages
The 2024 BAL season will be broadcast to fans in 214 countries and territories, reaching diverse audiences. Broadcast partnerships with the African Broadcasting Union, American Forces Network (AFN), Canal+, NBA TV, Tencent Video, TSN, TV5 Monde, Visionary TV and Voice of America (VOA) ensure coverage extensive.
How to Follow Up
- NBA App: Link
- Official Site: nba.com
- YouTube Channel: BAL Channel
Tickets on Sale and Special Offers for Fans
Tickets for the group stage of the Kalahari Conference in Pretoria are now available at BAL.NBA.com e Ticketmaster.co.za. With prices starting from ZAR 75, fans can enjoy discounts of up to 35% on group packages. For exclusive offers, contact us via email [email protected].
Exclusive Access
Ticket holders will have free access to BAL Fan Zones in each market, providing a unique pre- and post-game experience.
The BAL Calendar 2024
The 12 teams were divided into three conferences, each playing 12 group stage matches. An exciting new feature is that the home team in each market will be in action every match day, including weekends.
- Nile Conference: April 19th to 27th – Cairo, Egypt.
- Sahara Conference: May 4th to 12th – Dakar, Senegal.
- Kalahari Conference: Games in Pretoria, 9 to 17 March.
The top two teams from each conference, along with the two highest ranked teams in third place, will advance to the BK Arena in Kigali. There, they will play four qualifying games, followed by eight exciting single knockouts and, finally, the long-awaited finals, from May 24th to June 1st.
If you want to read the stories of some players and coaches from the group stage of the Kalahari Conference download THIS PDF, e IN THIS PDF you will find all the details about the global distribution of broadcasts from the 2024 BAL season.
- IN THIS LINK you can see the lists for the group stage of the Kalahari Conference
- Team lists for the Nile Conference and Sahara Conference group stages will be announced at a later date.
- Lists are subject to change and will be updated in real time on the team list pages at nba.com
About BAL
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa. It is a professional league that has 12 teams from Africa and will start its fourth season in March 2024.
Based in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on club competitions organized by FIBA Africa across the continent and marks the NBA's first collaboration to run a league outside of North America.
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