Rabat — As Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) continues to position itself at the forefront of sports-driven youth development in Africa, its recent launch of the country’s first Junior NBA League received recognition from NBA Africa President Amadou Gallo Fall.
Launched through its subsidiary EVOSPORT in partnership with NBA Africa and Act4Community, the initiative demonstrates UM6P’s commitment to using sport as a catalyst for social transformation.
Fall recognized UM6P’s leadership in bringing this vision of creating a sustainable foundation for basketball development in Morocco to reality.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), the NBA Africa chief said, “We are here to launch NBA Africa’s partnership with the UM6P and also in partnership with EVOSPORT and Act4Community.”
Speaking to MWN during the launch at UM6P’s Benguerir campus, he confirmed that the partnership, which was announced back in February, provides an “incredible [feeling] to see the interest and the momentum for basketball in Morocco.”
Fall, who played center at the University of the District of Columbia before joining the Dallas Mavericks and later establishing the NBA’s Johannesburg office in 2010, brings crucial international expertise to UM6P’s initiative. His involvement validates the UM6P’s strategic positioning in African sports development.
The NBA Africa partnership provides essential credibility and technical support for UM6P’s ambitious program, as the organization has demonstrated continental impact since opening NBA Academy Africa in Senegal in 2017, making UM6P’s collaboration strategically significant for both organizations.
“In April, we hosted our Kalahari Conference here, the Basketball Africa League with FISA Rabat representing Morocco. We were very impressed by just the attendance of fans that came and supported FISA Rabat,” Fall noted.
The NBA Africa president spoke of Morocco’s basketball potential that UM6P is now channeling through structured development – with a vision that extends beyond athletic training.
The university views the Junior NBA League as part of its mission to contribute to Morocco’s socio-economic transformation through sports, aligning with the national strategy to position Morocco as a leading sports hub regionally and globally.
Fall described the initiative as “a game changer in terms of just popularizing basketball, but most importantly, giving young talented Moroccan boys and girls an opportunity to play basketball and to grow up with the values of the game, to become better citizens, better members of communities.”
Through EVOSPORT, the university has created Morocco’s most ambitious basketball development program, targeting over 2,000 boys and girls aged 12 to 16 across Benguerir, Khouribga, Laayoune, El Jadida, and Safi.
In a statement, the CEO of EVOSPORT Ismail Lyoubi said that “through this partnership, our ambition is to go beyond the realm of sport and turn it into a societal project.”
The program represents UM6P’s broader strategy to transform Morocco’s sports industry while positioning the country as a regional hub for athletic excellence and youth development.
EVOSPORT’s approach combines local infrastructure with international standards. The subsidiary will establish five Junior NBA leagues and five NBA basketball schools, with each city hosting 30 teams equally divided between boys and girls.
The program includes training and certifying more than 50 coaches according to Junior NBA standards, creating a sustainable foundation for basketball development in Morocco.
The launch establishes UM6P as a pioneer in African sports development, using NBA Africa’s expertise to create a model for youth empowerment, while EVOSPORT’s integrated approach addresses current industry challenges while building lasting impact through strategic international partnerships.