The Basketball Africa League (BAL) chiefs have assured Uganda of a BAL franchise once the newly proposed modern Lugogo arena’s construction is done.
This was tipped to the outgoing state minister for sports Hon. Peter Ogwang after attending an investors summit which saw high profile government officials from different African countries and top potential sports investors taking part in Kigali, Rwanda on Friday.
According to BAL president Amadou Gallo, Uganda is a basketball loving country and BAL will be very proud to visit Uganda once the new arena is done.
“We have had engagements with BAL and all they are waiting for is the construction of our new arena and they bring the BAL experience in Kampala,” noted Ogwang.
Uganda is set to commence the construction of a new 20,000 capacity indoor arena as part of the Lugogo sports complex project at the National council of sports.
The works are expected to commence immediately after Uganda hosting the 2027 Africa cup of nations finals with Turkish side Summa confirmed as the contractors. Away from building the Hoima City stadium for Afcon, Summa also built the magnificent Kigali BK arena.
The Complex will also have an accommodation facility with 120 rooms as well as a showroom, shopping center and a state-of-the-art fitness gym, among other amenities.
The Investors summit for prospective Basketball Africa League investors and partners interested in league’s transition to a franchise model took place in Kigali as part of the ongoing BAL finals at the Kigali Arena.
Hosted by NBA Deputy Commissioner & COO Mark Tatum and FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, the sumit was attended byRwandapresident Paul Kagame. Attendees had the opportunity to hear about how establishing permanent BAL franchises will create long-term, locally rooted teams that deepen fan engagement in key markets, unlock new commercial opportunities, and provide a more stable platform for investment and growth, while creating enduring sports and entertainment brands across Africa with the support of the NBA’s league and team operations expertise.
