Giants of Africa, I am very pleased to be with you this evening.

Let me begin by thanking Masai Ujiri, his team and partners, that have worked with us to put this together. And I mean it because Masai has invested his passion, his time, his own money, and mobilized more resources to be able to put this festival together. I thank you Masai.

In fact, when I am thanking you, I want it to be understood that through you I am also talking about your family – who are here, who support you, who are friends of this continent, and the young talent that we have here in front of us today. I am very pleased that we could host this festival for the second time in Kigali. We feel proud, together with you, that we can pull this that brings out a lot about our continent.

Giants of Africa have been a trailblazer in sports, in infrastructure, in identifying and developing the talent that is in Africa’s youth that you represent here tonight. I thank each and every country represented here – the 20 countries that you represent. We appreciate you, we welcome you, and we want you to feel at home while you are here. And we hope you will be back even for other things other than just this festival. You are most welcome.

Back to the purpose of Giants of Africa: I want to urge you to believe in the giants that are in you. And then you go out, you work hard, you put in all the time and the resources you have – on court and off court – and that will bring out the giant in you, and that is what Africa needs to do.

Africa needs to believe in the giant that Africa is.  And you have got to come out and show it and do what we need to do that giants do. Giants grow, they develop, they stand tall, they believe in themselves. And Africa should not and cannot remain lagging behind the rest of the world. Why? What is the question that can’t be answered? Why? But in a small way like this, in this festival, we are reminded that we can start: the numbers are here, the countries we represent – and grow and bring out the many millions that Africans are and show their worth and continue to do Africa proud.

We can do it. We can do it through sports. We can do it through many things, which Masai has already outlined.  It shouldn’t just be a slogan. It shouldn’t be talk. It should be deeds as well, and we are capable of doing just that.

Ladies and gentlemen – the young people of our continent represented by the 20 countries here: I wish you the best. I wish you to have that energy that will drive you to greater heights as we raise the level of our continent.

Have a good evening, and all the best to you all.

God bless you. Thank you.