Keynotes

Joakim S. Noah

Joakim S. Noah is a former professional basketball player. Born in New York, Noah was a member of the French national team and played college basketball for the Florida Gators, winning back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007. The Chicago Bulls selected Noah with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Noah is a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2014 when he also was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Noah’s pride in being an investor and supporter of the BAL  (Basketball African League) runs as strong as his family ties to Africa. His family, which includes his father, former tennis star Yannick Noah, is from Yaoundé, Cameroon. “I knew that BAL as a platform would definitely inspire … It brings me back to my family heritage and the bridge of being able to have people from my family in America and being able to connect the dots back to the continent. This is something that’s very special. More than just a basketball league. I knew that this would be something that would be unique and special on so many levels.” (https://andscape.com/features/joakim-noah-wants-to-change-the-narrative-about-african-basketball/)

Hamchetou Maiga-Ba

amchetou Maiga-Ba is the President and Founder of the Hamchetou Maiga-Ba Foundation. As a former Olympian, Champion and Captain to many sports teams, she is known for being a great leader, student and teammate. Hamchetou who has been privileged to study and play professionally in the US and internationally, finds education to be of the utmost importance.

As a Student Athlete, she completed an undergraduate degree in Information Technology. While playing professionally abroad and competing at the highest level, Hamchetou finished her MBA in Global Management.

Now a wife and mom of two children she utilizes her experience to better the lives of the youth in her country of birth. “With a population of over 18 millions, of which 47.3% are under 15 years old, the literacy rate in Mali is drastically low. Our foundation utilizes sports as a catalyst to improve that rate.” Established in 2018 the foundation was created based on the need to introduce sports and educational opportunities to young girls and boys for them to excel in life through basketball and their studies in Mali.

Through the Hamchetou Maiga-Ba Foundation and in her position as the founding chair of Special Olympics in Mali, she hopes to cultivate inclusion of those with intellectual disabilities into the world of sports. Her message is one of unity and inclusion for all. (https://www.hmbfoundation.org/board-members)