The National Basketball Association recently announced that it will launch the very first elite NBA basketball training center in Africa by next year. This is part of the NBA's effort to tap and develop the potential of basketball players in the region.

The NBA will be working with the Sports for Education and Economic Development Project (SEED) organization in launching the said elite training center. Dubbed as NBA Academy Africa, the center will be located in Thies, Senegal, according to USA Today. Once operational, the center will be the NBA's sixth training center in the world and the first to be built in Africa.

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In a statement acquired by ESPN, NBA vice president and managing director for Africa Amadou Gallo Fall said, "The creation of NBA Academy Africa marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the NBA on the African continent, and the focus on elite player development speaks to our commitment to basketball excellence."

The NBA had launched three basketball academies in China in October. These are located in the provinces of Jinan, Hangzhou, and Urumqi. An NBA Global Academy is also planned for a launch in Australia, while the NBA Academy India is slated to open its doors in 2017.

Each of these training academies will be staffed by NBA-trained coaches. The coaches will focus mainly on player development, education, character development, leadership, and life skills. The academies are open for both male and female prospects.

NBA Academy Africa is expected to cater to prospects coming from African countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Senegal.

TagsNBA, nba africa, nba elite training center, nba training center, nba academy, Africa, nba africa academy