Your Weekly Dose of FIBA Africa Zone 7 News: Comoros basketball enters a new era with fresh leadership, Madagascar’s Alley Hoop Festival showcases rising 3x3 stars, and Mauritius strengthens ties with Réunion through a groundbreaking partnership to revive Zone 7 regional basketball competitions.
Last Updated on
September 28, 2025
On September 21, Mohéli basketball pressed the reset button. A new executive board was elected with Ahmed Salim Ahmed assuming the presidency. At his side, a youthful team now carries the task of completing the current mandate and revitalizing a sport that has been stagnating for months. First on the agenda: bringing local competitions back to life, while also investing in referee and coach development.
The toughest battle, though, is financial. As the federal Vice President Abacar Alaoui has stated, the new leaders will need to rally partners and secure the resources that can turn big ideas into lasting reality. Expectations are sky-high on an island where basketball’s popularity is booming. For the young players who pack outdoor courts night after night, hope now rests on the shoulders of a revitalized leadership. The ball — quite literally — is in their court.
For one weekend, Analakely Square was at the heart of streetball, with the 7th Alley Hoop Festival bringing together 95 teams, nearly 400 players, and a crowd of passionate basketball fans that fed off the thrill of 3x3 hoops.
The drama was tight in the senior bracket: GNBC’s women edged ASB O in a nail-biter, 13–12, while JJAJ’s men outpaced the Sharks 21–17. In the U23s, the Predators took the crown among the boys (18–15) and ASSM among the girls (13–11).
Even the U17s had their moment in the spotlight, with Pintade and MTB1 enjoying lengthy runs in the tournament. For Tahiana Rasolojaona, CEO of RDJ, the message was clear:
"Alley Hoop is no longer just an event, it’s a launchpad."
Already, talk is swirling about taking the tournament beyond Antananarivo. With this edition, Alley Hoop has cemented itself as the breeding ground of Madagascar’s next basketball stars.
A handshake across the ocean may change the course of Mauritian basketball. On August 7, in a rare show of regional unity, Johan Guillou of Réunion (LRBB) and Stéphanie Soubanse-Hon Pin of Mauritius (FMBB) outlined the contours of a new partnership: coaching exchanges, structured training programs, and the long-awaited revival of regional competition.
Mauritius, hungry for a talent pipeline and better scouting, is looking to Reunion’s experience as a template. Guillou, who has deep ties with the Mauritian game, made it plain: the island isn’t alone — help is coming.
There’s already talk of youth camps between islands and even a rebirth of the old FIBA Africa Zone 7 Championships, once the pride of regional basketball. The obstacles are real — travel costs, logistics, and funding — but the vision is bold. In a region where Madagascar stands tall on the continental stage, Mauritius and Reunion now dream of lifting Zone 7 back into Africa’s basketball conversation.
[Photography Courtesy of Comoros Basketball Federation, RDJ 96.6 FM c/o Malagasy Basketball Federation, CJSOI 2025 Organizing Committee]
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