GUÉDIAWAYE, Senegal, November 2, 2026 — Qatar Foundation and the Basketball Africa League have opened their first BAL4HER community basketball court in Senegal, marking the initial phase of a continent-wide initiative to expand sports infrastructure and create educational and leadership opportunities for women and girls.
The refurbished facility in Guédiawaye, near Dakar, forms part of a multi-year partnership announced in May 2026 under which Qatar Foundation will support the renovation of six community courts across Africa.
The programme combines investment in sports facilities with education, skills development and community initiatives, reflecting growing efforts to use professional basketball’s expanding presence in Africa to support broader social development.
Qatar Foundation, the first official community partner of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), said the initiative was designed to improve access to sporting facilities while creating opportunities for young people to develop skills beyond the basketball court.
The Guédiawaye facility has undergone upgrades to its roof, lighting, changing rooms, bathrooms and meeting spaces. It will accommodate basketball, volleyball and handball, alongside educational workshops, leadership training, health and nutrition programmes.
Women and girls already account for approximately two-thirds of the facility’s users, making the project particularly significant for efforts to increase female participation in organised sport.
Alanoud Al Mesnad, executive director of women’s and girls’ sports at Qatar Foundation, said investment in sporting infrastructure needed to be accompanied by programmes that addressed the wider needs of local communities.
“At Qatar Foundation, we believe sport can be a powerful tool for social development, creating opportunities for women and girls, supporting young people and strengthening communities,” she said.
“Through our collaboration with the Basketball Africa League, we are supporting the creation of safe, inclusive spaces that reflect local needs and have enduring use and value to their societies, supported by the programs, partners, and community involvement that can turn investment in infrastructure into lasting impact.”
The initiative represents an extension of the BAL’s efforts to develop basketball beyond its professional competition, which features 12 club teams from across Africa.
Established through a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, the league completed its sixth season in May 2026 and has sought to strengthen basketball’s commercial and developmental footprint across the continent.
Headquartered in Dakar, the BAL represents the National Basketball Association’s first collaboration to operate a professional league outside North America.
Its BAL4HER programme focuses on increasing participation and visibility for women and girls in basketball, while supporting talent development and leadership opportunities within the wider sports industry.
The partnership with Qatar Foundation provides a platform for extending those activities into community infrastructure, where access to suitable facilities can be a barrier to participation.
Amadou Gallo Fall, president of the Basketball Africa League, said the Guédiawaye project was intended to provide young women with opportunities for personal and professional development.
“Basketball has the power to open doors, build confidence and inspire young people to dream bigger,” Fall said.
“With the first BAL4HER community court in Africa, we want girls and young women in Guédiawaye to have a place where they can play, learn, connect and imagine what is possible. We are grateful to Qatar Foundation for sharing our commitment to expanding opportunities through the game.”
The development comes as investment in African sport increasingly extends beyond professional competitions to include infrastructure, youth development and commercial opportunities linked to the sports industry.
For basketball, community facilities are an important part of developing future players, coaches, administrators and other professionals, particularly in markets where access to organised training and suitable venues remains uneven.
The Guédiawaye project seeks to address some of these challenges by combining sporting activities with practical education and leadership programmes.
Rather than applying a standard design across all six planned facilities, Qatar Foundation and the BAL said each project would be developed in consultation with local stakeholders to reflect community priorities.
In Senegal, the initiative has been structured around the needs of Guédiawaye residents, with an emphasis on providing a safe and accessible environment for women and girls.
The renovated meeting rooms and educational spaces will allow the facility to host activities beyond sporting competitions, including life-skills workshops and health awareness programmes.
The approach reflects the partnership’s objective of ensuring that investment in physical infrastructure produces benefits that extend beyond the construction or refurbishment of sporting facilities.
Qatar Foundation, established in 1995, operates a network of more than 50 entities focused on education, research, innovation and community development.
Its involvement in the BAL4HER programme expands its international community development activities through sport, while supporting the basketball league’s efforts to build relationships with local communities across Africa.
However, neither organisation disclosed the financial value of the six-court refurbishment programme, the cost of upgrading the Guédiawaye facility or the locations and completion dates of the remaining five projects.
The organisations also did not specify how many participants are expected to benefit annually from the Senegal facility.
The long-term impact of the programme will depend on continued maintenance, access to training and educational activities, and the involvement of local organisations in managing the facilities.
For the BAL, the partnership offers an opportunity to strengthen basketball’s grassroots development alongside its professional league operations.
For Qatar Foundation, it provides a means of extending its education and community development objectives into African markets through an established sporting organisation.
The opening in Guédiawaye marks the first completed project under the collaboration, with five additional community courts planned as the partners seek to expand opportunities for women, girls and young people across the continent.
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