In a bid to promote sports participation among young people, particularly girls, the Ball Activating Literacy and Leadership organisation has donated 25 pairs of basketball shoes to female players in Lagos.
BALL, through its “One BALL Campaign” aims to provide young people with the necessary equipment to excel in their chosen sport.
According to Oluwafemi Adefeso, the convener of BALL, “We are intentional about inviting girls this time because we’ve seen a higher turnout of boys in our previous events. We want to be deliberate about getting girls involved in sports.”
The donation which took place at the Gaskiya College Ijora, Lagos was accompanied by a basketball clinic, where the girls received training and mentorship from experienced coaches and players.
Adefeso emphasised the importance of education in addition to sports, saying, “For me, personally, why I started this was because I found myself in the US interviewing LeBron James a few years back. I also wanted to play with or against LeBron James, but that never materialised. But then through the vehicle of sports journalism, I found myself there. But if I didn’t have education, I wouldn’t have gotten there.”
Since its inception, BALL has touched over 2000 kids through their mentorship programs and has given out about 300 sports equipment.
Adefeso also expressed gratitude to donors who have supported their cause, saying, “We’ve tried so far, and God has been fortunate to us. We’ve received donations from individuals who believe in our cause.”
The organisation aims to expand its reach and provide more opportunities for young people to develop their skills in various sports.
“We are open to all sports, basketball is easier for me because I played, but we are always willing to stretch beyond because it’s about the young people,” Adefeso said.