National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa and Senyorita to Launch NBA’s First University Basketball Tournament on the Continent and Largest Jr. NBA/Jr. Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Tournament Ever in Egypt |
Lion joins existing partners Allianz and Maven Developments as Official Partners of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA tournament in Egypt, which this year will expand to include nearly 150 boys’ and girls’ teams |
- CAIRO, Egypt, January 16, 2026/
- NBA REC University Tournament Will Feature Men’s and Women’s Teams from 40 Public and Private Universities Across Five Cities in Egypt
- Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Tournament Will Expand to Include Nearly 150 Boys’ and Girls’ Teams from More than 50 Private Schools in Alexandria and Cairo
NBA Africa (www.NBA.com) and Senyorita For Food Industries, a leading manufacturer of snack foods in Egypt, through its chip brand Lion, yesterday announced a collaboration to launch the NBA’s first university basketball tournament on the continent and the largest Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA tournament ever in Egypt.
The announcement was made by Senyorita Chief Operating Officer Sherif El Nokaly and Head of NBA Egypt Mohamed Motaleb-Abdel Soliman at a signing ceremony in Cairo.
The NBA REC University Tournament will feature 3-on-3 competition between men’s and women’s teams from 40 public and private universities across five cities: Alexandria, Assyiut, Cairo, Giza and Mansoura. Operated by Events Plus, the league will tip off in April and conclude with the playoffs and finals in Cairo in May.
Lion joins existing partners Allianz and Maven Developments as Official Partners of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA tournament in Egypt, which this year will expand to include nearly 150 boys’ and girls’ teams of youth ages 14 and under from more than 50 private schools in Cairo, and for the first time, Alexandria. The expanded tournament – also operated by Events Plus – tipped off in Dec. 2025 with the Eastern Conference in New Cairo and the Western Conference in New Giza and will culminate with the playoffs in February and finals in April.
“Our collaboration with the NBA aligns perfectly with our mission to bring people together,” said Nokaly. “Whether it’s families, fans, or young athletes, we’re proud to support and inspire athletic communities through both great snacks and great moments.”
“Our collaboration with Senyorita is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to create more opportunities for Egyptian youth to learn and play basketball,” said Soliman. “The NBA REC University Tournament and Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA tournament will provide structured environments for aspiring players across the country to progress in their development while learning important values like teamwork, leadership and respect.”
The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA, the league’s global youth basketball program for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills and core values of the game – teamwork, respect, determination and community – at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. Last year, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA programming reached more than 390,000 youth in more than 40 countries across Africa.
