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BasketballFeature

How basketball became South Sudan’s second passion

From dusty outdoor courts in Juba to the Olympic Games in Paris, the national team has changed what young players believe is possible.

Sports HQ Juba deskWednesday 28 October at 12:214 min read

Walk past any school in Juba after classes end and the sound is unmistakable: a ball on concrete and a crowd of teenagers arguing over the last shot. Basketball has always had a following in South Sudan, but the national team’s rise has turned that following into something closer to a movement.

Reaching the Olympic basketball tournament in Paris in 2024 gave a young country a team the whole world was watching. Players who had grown up in Juba, Wau, Malakal and across the diaspora suddenly had a shared stage, and children at home had faces to copy.

The challenge now is building from the bottom. Coaches in Juba point to the shortage of indoor courts and the cost of travel to regional tournaments. Several clubs have started weekend programmes for girls and boys aged 12 to 17, and the federation says more state-level competitions are planned.

For fans, the next chapter is the FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifiers. Every window brings a chance to watch the Bright Stars against Africa’s strongest teams, and Sports HQ subscribers can follow every game live, point by point.

South Sudan