Basketball: La BAL and PETROSEN inaugurate the renovated UGB field
The Basketball Africa League (BAL), in partnership with PETROSEN, inaugurated on Wednesday September 30 the renovated basketball court at Gaston Berger University (UGB) in Saint-Louis. The first infrastructure delivered as part of a program covering six fields in Senegal, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, this initiative aims to offer young people quality sports spaces and strengthen the community impact of sport.
The basketball court at Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis was officially returned to service on Wednesday, thanks to a partnership between the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and PETROSEN. The ceremony marks the launch of a program to renovate local sports infrastructure in several African countries.
For the president of the BAL, Amadou Gallo Fall, the choice of Saint-Louis to inaugurate this program is particularly significant. “We are very happy that this inauguration begins here, in the city of Saint-Louis,” he declared, recalling the historic character of the city and its importance in the energy future of Senegal.
According to him, the objective of the partnership is not limited to the practice of basketball. It is also about bringing young people closer to secure infrastructure and contributing to the development of communities. “We are more than just a basketball league to organize a professional championship. This kind of partnership allows us to contribute to the holistic development of our communities,” he stressed.
The general director of PETROSEN Holding SA, Thierno Seydou Ly, recalled the company’s commitment to several projects in Saint-Louis, particularly in the oil and gas sectors, but also through the construction of a technical control center intended to contribute to road safety.
He insisted on the importance of youth in PETROSEN’s development strategy. “The first resource a country has is its young people,” he said, believing that the promotion of sport and excellence constitutes a means of creating new opportunities.
On the UGB side, the director of the UFR of education, training and sport sciences, Professor Hassane Diakhaté, welcomed a renovation which responds to a concrete need. The multisport hall is used for educational activities, but also by the Saint-Louis basketball, handball and volleyball leagues. “We had arrived at a time when the infrastructure was almost obsolete and in a dilapidated state,” he explained, stressing that the intervention of BAL and PETROSEN made it possible in particular to improve the terrain, lighting and electronic equipment.
The new infrastructure thus strengthens the sports facilities of the UGB, which also has an Olympic swimming pool and a gym. For the partners, this achievement reflects the desire to make sport a lever for development, learning and opportunities for young people.
