By: Victoria Kwofie
Giant of Africa, a global basketball development organisation founded by NBA executive Masai Ujiri, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, began a two-day women’s basketball engagement in Ghana aimed at empowering female coaches and promoting gender equity through sport.
The programme, which runs from January 7–8, 2026, features a Women’s Basketball Coaches Clinic at the University of Ghana, Legon, and will climax on Thursday with the unveiling of a newly constructed basketball court at the School for the Deaf, Mampong Akuapem.
The Ghana engagement was led by Joe Touomou, Senior Coach of Giant of Africa, and Coach Geraldine Robert, alongside members of the organisation, officials of the Ghana Basketball Association (GBA) led by President Alex Kukula, Treasurer Aurora Commodor, selected coaches and local representatives. About 30 women participated in the clinic, which combined theory and practical sessions covering general coaching principles, dribbling techniques, basketball terminologies and on-court instruction.
Speaking during the theory session, Coach Joe Touomou emphasised discipline, structure and attention to detail as key elements of effective basketball coaching. “Basketball is a game of instructions, discipline and details. As African coaches, we must embrace the culture of details and pay attention to time, structure and consistency. The rules of the game are a weapon, so coaches must increase their basketball IQ, work on players’ mindset and be the peace their players can rely on,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of communication in the game, adding that “effective communication is very important in basketball, and every male coach handling a female team should have a female assistant coach.”
In an interview, Coach Geraldine Robert described the clinic as part of Giant of Africa’s broader mission to empower women and promote gender equity through sport.
“I am proud to be part of Giant of Africa, an organisation I have worked with for several years. We are here in Ghana as part of an empowerment programme to promote gender equity, and this is the first-ever women’s basketball clinic organised by Giant of Africa since its creation in 2003,” she said. She noted that the organisation was excited to work with about 25 to 30 women coaches, whom they hope to shape into leaders and mentors for the next generation.
“When women win, everybody wins. It is important for us to educate these coaches so they can also educate young girls to believe in themselves. At Giant of Africa, we use sport not only to develop basketball players but to raise women leaders for tomorrow,” she stated.
Coach Robert explained that although the clinic lasted one day, its impact could be life-changing.
“One word can change somebody’s life. Our goal is to give these women all the tools they need to teach basketball and, more importantly, to teach leadership,” she added.
She also outlined activities for the second day, saying,
“We are unveiling a basketball court at the School for the Deaf in Mampong Akuapem. We are excited to work with the children because sports can break barriers and include everybody.”
President of the Ghana Basketball Association, Alex Kukula, said the initiative aligned with the federation’s long-term development strategy for women’s basketball.
“We have decided to train senior female players and coaches from teams with women’s sides so they can also coach and train other girls’ teams. If you look at the pathway, this is how we build sustainable women’s basketball,” he said.
He outlined a busy calendar for the GBA in 2026, adding that
“this year, our focus is on capacity building. We will organise coaching centre programmes, an official FIBA coaching course and a FIBA referees’ certification course. We are also likely to host the Zone 3 U16 Championship for both men and women, while ensuring activity for our senior teams through the national league and 3×3 basketball. Collaborations like this one with Giant of Africa will help our programmes grow and bear fruit.”
