Basketball Africa League and Hennessy to Host Second "BAL IN" Accra, Ghana ahead of 2025 Season Tipping off April 5

"BAL IN" Accra, presented by Hennessy, will celebrate the continent's culture and creativity while converging basketball, fashion, music, art, design, and entertainment

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DAKAR, Senegal, December 17, 2024/ -- The Basketball Africa League (BAL) (www.BAL.NBA.com) and Hennessy, the world-renowned cognac brand and the Official Spirit of the BAL, will host the second basketball, lifestyle, and entertainment event "BAL IN" Accra at the Bukom Boxing Arena on Friday, Dec. 27. 

"BAL IN" Accra, presented by Hennessy, will celebrate the continent's culture and creativity while converging basketball, fashion, music, art, design, and entertainment. The event's highlight will be a celebrity basketball game curated by AfroFuture, an African-focused media management company dedicated to showcasing creative talent and curating lifestyle and entertainment events across the continent, featuring players with BAL experience, local artists and entertainers. Fans can register to attend at https://apo-opa.co/3DhcXSB.

"We are super excited to return to Accra for our second "BAL IN" experience as we continue to build momentum ahead of our milestone fifth season", said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. "This year's "BAL IN" Accra will showcase and celebrate African sports business and creative industries on the global stage, in line with the BAL's commitment to shining a spotlight and becoming an economic growth engine for the continent."

"As the Official Spirit of the NBA and the BAL, Hennessy is looking forward to another exciting season, especially with the addition of Ghana to the "BAL IN" markets this year. We invite fans to enjoy both the games hosted across the continent and the cultural playground that's celebrated beyond the court," said David White, Regional managing director Africa Middle East at Moët Hennessy."

"We're thrilled to work with the BAL and Hennessy to bring the second 'BAL IN' event to Accra this December, blending basketball, fashion, music, and art into one unforgettable experience," said CEO and Co-Founder of AfroFuture Abdul Karim Abdullah. "Moments like these amplify the global spotlight on Africa, showcasing our continent as both a hub of talent and a leader in live entertainment. This is the beginning of what's possible when sports and culture unite to inspire the next generation."

"BAL IN" is part of the league's long-term strategy to connect and engage with fans across the continent and beyond, including the African Diaspora. Previous "BAL IN" events have been held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Berlin, Germany; Lagos, Nigeria; Paris, France and Salt Lake City, U.S.

The BAL's milestone fifth season will tip off on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco and culminate with the 2025 BAL Finals on Saturday, June 14 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, marking the first BAL games in Morocco and the first time the BAL Finals will be held in South Africa. The 2025 BAL season will feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing 48 games in Rabat; Dakar, Senegal; Kigali, Rwanda; and Pretoria.

The 12 teams will once again be divided into three conferences of four teams each.  Each conference will play a 12-game group phase during which each team will face the other three teams in its conference twice. The Kalahari Conference group phase will take place from April 5 – Sunday, April 13 in Rabat. The Sahara Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 4 at the Dakar Arena in Senegal. The Nile Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, May 17 – Sunday, May 25 at BK Arena in Kigali. Eight teams from across the three conferences will qualify for the Playoffs in Pretoria, which will tip off on Friday, June 6 and culminate with the 2025 BAL Finals on Saturday, June 14. Fans can register their interest in tickets to games in all four markets at BAL.NBA.com.