The BAL and SOSA have collaborated to continue using the power of sports to help people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths, abilities, skills and success.


The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the Special Olympics of South Africa (SOSA) will collaborate on Sunday afternoon, March 10, to bring together a curated in-arena experience and unified celebrity game featuring Special Olympics ambassadors and supporters, SOSA athletes and more.
 
For the second consecutive year, the BAL and SOSA have collaborated to continue using the power of sports to help people with intellectual disabilities (https://apo-opa.co/3uTkH9y) discover new strengths, abilities, skills and success.  The activation will also help raise funds for SOSA.  The activation will feature a basketball clinic hosted by FUS Rabat team to Special Olympics athletes followed by a tournament of four teams mixing Special Olympics athletes and celebrities ahead of Sunday night’s BAL Kalahari Conference game between home team Cape Town Tigers and four-time BAL participants Petro de Luanda. 

As the BAL expands to the South Africa, the league will collaborate with the Special Olympics to further amplify the importance of the organizing body’s work here in South Africa and also in Senegal, Egypt and Rwanda. This initiative looks to improve the impact and development in South Africa of Special Olympics athletes across Africa and the creating of an exciting in-arena experience for fans who come to watch the games.

The Unified Game will tip off between two curated teams of 10 members consisting of local celebrities, ambassadors, supporters and Special Olympics athletes among them – media personality Pearl Thusi, top model Maria Borges, actors and media personalities andambassadors Kay Sibiya, Kenzo Ndlovu, Senzo Radebe, dancer and musician Robot Boii alongside BAL Ambassadors Joakim Noah, Ian Mahinmi, Pops Mensah Bonsu and WNBA player Jewell Loyd.

A total of 140 participants will attend the game, with 40 actively taking part in the activation. To raise funds, a QR code will be displayed throughout the day in the arena, allowing attendees to make donations to the Special Olympics which will be on display throughout the conference.