RITE Sports successfully launched the Africa Basketball Festival (ABF) in the United States on Saturday, August 17, 2024.

The event, held at the Holiday Inn Suites in Laurel, Maryland, brought together government officials, community leaders, basketball players and enthusiasts, fashion brands, and music industry professionals from diverse backgrounds to celebrate basketball, culture, and unity.

The launch featured a dynamic lineup of events, including a meet-and-greet session, a fashion exhibition, and messages from distinguished guests.

The event highlighted the organizers' plans to start a global tour in 2025, beginning in the USA, France, and selected African countries that featured in previous editions of the festival. This tour will serve as a buildup to the main festival in Ghana later in 2025.

"We are incredibly proud of the success of the launch of Africa Basketball Festival in the U.S.," said Yaw Sakyi Afari, Chief Executive Officer at RITE Sports.

He continued: "The event was more than just basketball; it was an opportunity to bring people together, celebrate diversity, and promote unity through sports and culture. The enthusiasm and support from the community were truly inspiring.

"We look forward to building on this momentum and making the Africa Basketball Festival (ABF) a truly global event bringing together basketball teams from different countries, fashion brands and music. Yaw Sakyi added. "This is just the beginning, and we are excited to see how this festival will grow and continue to inspire future generations."

The launch attracted distinguished guests, including Councilwoman Wala Blegay of District 6, Prince George's County, Maryland; Pops Mensah-Bonsu, President of Minor League Operations, New York Knicks and SEED Academy Ghana; Gabriel Njinimbot, former candidate for US Congress MD04 and Prince George's County Council at Large; Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association; Dr. Kwadwo Agyapong-Berry, Chairman/CEO of BG Group; Atik Mohammed, Ghanaian politician; Latoya Samuels, United Nations NGO Consultant and former Secretary of the USA Ghana Chamber of Commerce; and Irene Dele-Ajejumo, Founder and CEO of Omolewa Cosmetics.

They also extended their heartfelt gratitude to their partners Vulcan Companies Inc., Amy Butler Foundation, JMK Production LLC, and USA2GHANA, as well as to the volunteers and attendees who contributed to the success of this landmark event.

About Africa Basketball Festival

The Africa Basketball Festival is a lifestyle event that merges the game of basketball with fashion and music. There have been three editions held in 2019, 2022, and 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

The 2024 festival will feature teams from 10 countries (6 from Africa and 4 outside Africa) in basketball action, fashion brands from different continents, and thrilling music performances at the University of Ghana. The festival is dedicated to promoting diverse cultures, unity, fashion, music, the game of basketball, and community impact events.