Masai Ujiri’s Giants of Africa Expands Basketball Courts to the Sahel With Projects in Mali and Ghana
Photo:Ujiri Productions
Masai Ujiri, Co-Founder of Giants of Africa, former Vice-Chairman, President of the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club Inc. and United Nations Sustainable Goals Development Advocate is expanding his long-running effort to build community basketball infrastructure across Africa, launching a new phase of the Built Within initiative that will extend court construction into the Sahel region.
The program, called Dribble for Peace, forms part of the broader Built Within project launched in 2021 by Giants of Africa. The initiative aims to build 100 community basketball courts across the continent, with 45 courts already completed across 13 countries.
The latest milestone came on March 8, when the organization unveiled its 45th basketball court in Koulikoro, Mali, marking the official launch of the Dribble for Peace initiative in the Sahel.
“Now we are going to the places that need sport for peace the most,” Ujiri said. “Dribble for Peace will reach more than 10 countries across the Sahel, bringing basketball and opportunity to communities facing conflict, instability, and environmental decline. Because basketball is more than just a game. It’s a bridge, a way to bring people together across divides, a way to nurture leadership, inspire resilience, and build hope that extends far beyond the court.”
The initiative will build on Giants of Africa’s existing presence in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal, while expanding into several new countries including Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, South Sudan, and Sudan.
The court opening in Koulikoro included a women’s coaching clinic, reflecting the organization’s focus on expanding opportunities for women and girls in sport. Ujiri attended the launch ceremony alongside local officials, including Koulikoro mayor Aliou Moussa Tamboura.
Last week, Giants of Africa unveiled its 46th basketball court in Nsaba in Ghana’s Central Region, developed in partnership with comedian and actor Michael Blackson.
The facility will be located at the Michael Blackson Academy, a tuition-free school founded in 2023 to help address overcrowding in Ghana’s public education system and expand access to education and leadership development for underserved youth.
The project marks Giants of Africa’s third basketball court in Ghana.
“It’s powerful to see how Michael has invested back into his community in such a meaningful way,” Ujiri said. “The Michael Blackson Academy is creating real opportunities for young people in Ghana by giving them a place to learn, grow, and believe in themselves.
To be able to add a basketball court to the Academy means that their education will only become more [richer]. Through GOA’s court builds, we seek to teach young people sportsmanship and cooperation, while experiencing the pure joy the game can bring.”
Founded in 2003, Giants of Africa has grown into one of the most visible basketball development platforms on the continent, using camps, training programs, and court construction to expand youth access to sport while strengthening the pipeline of African basketball talent.
Source: GOA
