Egyptian Elalfy and Darlan of CAF named BWB Africa camp MVPs

CAIRO (Egypt) - Two of Africa's brightest young stars took home a major honor as Jana Elalfy of Egypt and Thierry Serge Darlan of Central African Republic were named Most Valuable Players of the 18th edition of the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp held by FIBA and the NBA.

Sixty-four campers from 25 African countries received elite basketball and life lessons over four days at the Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in the Egyptian capital Cairo. It was the first time that the camp was held in Egypt, and it was the first African BWB event since 2019.

The campers were coached by NBA players Udoka Azubuike (Utah Jazz; Nigeria), Mo Bamba (Orlando Magic; U.S.; ties to Cote d'Ivoire), 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon (U.S.; Boston Celtics) and Grant Williams (U.S.; Celtics), as well as NBA Global Ambassador and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Also at the BWB Africa camp were nine-time NBA champion and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, 2004 NBA champion and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, two-time NBA champion and New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green, Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. and Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch. The camp tied for the most NBA head coaches participating in a single BWB camp.

Basketball legend Steve Kerr brought his joy to the camp

Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee and Charlotte Hornets associate head athletic trainer Quinton Sawyer were also at the camp while Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri (Nigeria), Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager Mike Gansey, Los Angeles Clippers scout Lance Blanks, World Association of Basketball Coaches President and FIBA Technical Commission Chair Patrick Hunt (Australia) served as camp directors.

Elalfy was the leading scorer of the FIBA U18 Women's African Championship 2022 and helped Egypt finish second to qualify for the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023. The daughter of the Egypt women's national team head coach Ehab Elalfy, Jana Elalfy attends the NBA Academy Africa and also represented the continent at the Jr. NBA Global Championship in Florida in 2019.

She was also part of the Mercury team that won the girls championship at the BWB Africa camp along with Marian Ibrahim Sarr and Alimata Coulibaly of Mali, Hana Abdelaal of Egypt, Assoniambla Germaine Adahe and Marianne Sangare from Cote d'Ivoire, Nafisatou Diack of Guinea and Anjela Minja from Tanzania.

Just like Elhaly, Darlan also attends the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal and played for Angolan side Petro de Luanda in the second season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) as part of the BAL Elevate program. Darlan also played for the CAF senior national team at one of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers windows and averaged 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks.

Darlan also helped his team win the boys championship at the BWB Africa camp, teaming up with Mathias M'Madi and Lovasoa Ny Aina Andyerson Andriatsarafara of Madagascar, Abdou Dominique Diomande of Cote d'Ivoire, Adam Mohamend Hosny Elhalawany of Egypt, Deng Kuot Deng Kuot and Makoi Mabor Marier Makoi of South Sudan, Paul Kabenga Mbiya of DR Congo, Chakib Sedoud of Algeria and Abdou Aziz Yadd of Senegal.

The other awards saw Egyptians Jana Sallman of Egypt and Hassan Mohamed Hesham Hussein Kamel Amer Amer win the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award while Audrey Batchaya Djofang of Cameroon and Ulrich Kamka Chomche of Cameroon were the Defensive MVPs; Kenyan Madina Okot and Angolan Elton da Silva Mangueira were the Three-Point Champions and Madagascar's Mathias M'Madi received the BJ Johnson Most Improved Player Award.

BWB Africa All-Stars

Girls: Mariam Ibrahim Sarr (Mali), Audrey Batchaya Djofang (Cameroon), Sira Thienou (Mali), Penda Ndiaye (Senegal), Hana Abdelaal (Egypt), Angel Oguegbunam (South Africa), Jana Elalfy (Egypt), Madina Okot (Kenya)

Boys: Mathias M’Madi (Madagascar), Modou Fall Thiam (Senegal), Thierry Serge Darlan (Central African Republic), Daniel Quentin Akoue (Gabon), Parby Kabamba Musongela (DRC) Belal Mohamed Elshakery (Egypt), Abou Dominique Diomande (Cote d'Ivoire Coast), Seifeldin Kaidar Ahmed Youssef Hendawy (Egypt), Ulrich Kamka Chomche (Cameroon), Paul Kabenga Mbiya (DR Congo)

FIBA