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News and Analysis
December 2, 2024
M-KOPA has announced it will be sponsoring Kenya’s leading basketball team Nairobi City Thunder in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 Qualifiers which kicked off on Thursday, November 28.
M-KOPA will provide financial and logistical support to Nairobi City Thunder as it seeks to make history as Kenya’s first representative in the BAL.
The sponsorship entails financial and logistical support to enhance the team’s success during the Elite 16 tournament. Players will also get M-KOPA X20 smartphones that will support the team in documenting what could become a historic journey to the Basketball Africa League.
The Elite 16 tournament is the final qualification stage for African teams contending for a place in the 2025 Basketball Africa League. The partnership with M-KOPA is a major boost for the team’s morale, but is also an encouraging step in the growth of basketball and other sports in the region.
Read Also: Is the M-KOPA X20 Really Value for Money?
Martin Kingori, General Manager M-KOPA Kenya, emphasized sport as a powerful platform for empowering young people in communities in the country, terming Nairobi City Thunder’s efforts to elevate basketball, create jobs, and support aspiring players as “truly inspiring,”
“This aligns with our mission to finance progress by providing access to life-changing opportunities through our digital and financial solutions. We’re excited to cheer the team on in this important tournament,” he added.
M-KOPA is a leading fintech and social enterprise that provides financing for smartphones and other essentials in Africa. The company has operations in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Uganda. The company has its headquarters in London.
“What I love about the M-KOPA partnership is we believe in the same thing – both our organizations are dedicated to empowering individuals and communities,” Nairobi City Thunder Chief Business Officer Sandra Kimokoti noted.
The BAL Elite 16 tournament began with the East Division (Conference) finals dubbed Road to 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) at the Nyayo National Stadium gymnasium where City won over South Africa’s MBB Blue Soldiers.They have gone on to win two other matches - earning them a slot to the semi finals slotted for Monday, December 2.
M-KOPA had announced free tickets for the first 1,000 fans to arrive at Kasarani Stadiums where the semi finals will take place from 6pm.
Read Also: Why M-KOPA's Free Health Insurance Has Been a Lifesaver for Thousands of Kenyans
The BAL is the highest-paying basketball league in Africa with players taking home plum earnings in monthly salaries and prizes. The winning teams in the last four editions took home $100,000 (Ksh13 million) each, with runners-up being rewarded with $75,000 (Ksh9.8 million), $55,000 (Ksh7.2 million) for third-placed finishers, and $25,000 (Ksh3.3 million) for fourth-place finishers.
The league was established in 2019 and is co-organised by the National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), with the NBA and FIBA covering all expenses for the teams that qualify.
Read Also: I Made My First Ksh10K and Levelled up my Mitumba Biz with the M-KOPA
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