Your Weekly Dose of FIBA Africa Zone 7 News: Road to BAL 2026 participant Djabal Basket has launched a thriving development programme, while Madagascar 3x3 national teams are gearing up in a bid to retain their 2024 title. In Mauritius, the MBBF has issued a stern statement to clubs.
Last Updated on
October 27, 2025
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Founded in January 2021 by Coach Soidri Mhoma Mnahoula, the Iconi Educational Basketball Center has become a cornerstone for youth basketball in the Comoros. Based in the coastal town of Iconi, the center grew out of a partnership with the Road to BAL 2026 participant, the Iconi-based Djabal Basket, which provided land for training sessions for children aged 5 to 17.
Coach Mnahoula's vision was simple: to create a space where young athletes can grow both on and off the court. His dedication to grassroots basketball has earned him national recognition and led him to participate in the 2023 Start Basket programme. Earlier this year, Mnahoula also gained a FIBA Level One coaching certification.
Since the centre's inception, youth basketball in the area has produced several promising players, including Salim Kamardine, who was recently selected to represent the country at the 2025 Indian Ocean Island Games.
With development programmes such as Mini-Basket and U16 basketball, and with staff support, the sport's grassroots initiatives now blend sport, education, and personal development. Recently, Soidri Mhoma Mnahoula has the following to say about the long-term vision:
"Our mission goes beyond basketball. We are building character, discipline, and hope for a new generation of Comorian youth."
With just over a month to go before the FIBA 3x3 Africa Cup tips off, on the 5th December, Madagascar's men's and women's squads are in camp training and determined to defend their respective continental crowns, on home soil. The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to be held at the Mahamasina Sports Palace in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Twenty-five players—twelve men and thirteen women—are currently in camp, training at the Barea Stadium. Coaches Jean de Dieu Randrianarivelo and Haja Randrianarimanana are overseeing the men's squad, while Eli "Coach Ramora" Rakotonirina and assistant Anthony Andriamaholy are guiding the women's squad.
The Malagasy Basketball Federation has gathered some of the most talented hoopers from the N1A League, including returning Africa Cup champions Elly Randriamampionona, Livio Ratianarivo, Anthony Rasolomanana and Livio Ratianarivo, all of whom recently competed in FIBA AfroBasket 2025.
Fresh talent from N1A clubs, GNBC, and ASCUM Mahajanga has also been invited to compete for a spot on the Malagasy 3x3 roster to boost the squad's depth and intensity. For Madagascar, reaching at least the final would mean a ticket to the FIBA 3x3 World Cup, a goal that drives every drill and scrimmage.
In the women's squad, 2024 champions Muriel Hajanirina, Christiane Jaofera, Sydonie Andriamihajanirina, and Emerachine Raherimanana lead a strong lineup reinforced by several up-and-coming standouts from the Women's N1A League.
“We’re refining fundamentals, conditioning, and tactical awareness,” says Coach Deda. “Every session brings us closer to our dream—keeping the title right here at home.”
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The Mauritius Basketball Federation (MBBF) has moved to “set the record straight,” reminding all member clubs that no basketball competition can be organised without its prior approval. The statement, issued this week, follows a surge in unsanctioned events that, according to the federation, “escape its regulatory framework.”
While recognising “the vitality of the basketball community and its desire to keep the sport alive across the island,” the MBBF stressed that enthusiasm must be matched by respect for established procedures.
"Unauthorized tournaments", it warned, could “disrupt the national calendar, compromise safety and quality, and harm relationships between clubs and partners.”
“It’s not about stopping or slowing down the game,” an MBBF source said. “It’s simply about regulating how basketball is practiced.”
The federation outlined three core principles: prior validation of competitions, open consultation between clubs and the federation, and strict respect for internal regulations to ensure fairness.
The MBBF added that it remains “ready to provide all technical expertise” to support organisers and cited the Red Bull 3x3 event as an example of collaboration done right.
“We welcome any initiative that promotes basketball,” the statement concluded, “but it’s imperative that everyone understands—we must all move forward within the rules.”
[Photography Courtesy of Djabal Basket, Malagasy Basketball Federation, Le Mauricien Newspaper]
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