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Basketball Africa League 2021: By the Numbers

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Basketball Africa League 2021: By the Numbers
Basketball Africa League 2021: By the NumbersReading Time: 2 minutes

 

History will be made when the first BAL season tips off today and culminates with the crowning of the first BAL champion on Sunday, May 30

The inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) (theBAL.com) season will tip off today at 4:00 p.m. CAT / 10 a.m. ET when Rwanda’s Patriots Basketball Club (BBC) takes on Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers at the Kigali Arena in Rwanda.

Below are facts and figures about the BAL:

•  1 – History will be made when the first BAL season tips off today and culminates with the crowning of the first BAL champion on Sunday, May 30. The BAL, a partnership between the NBA and FIBA, marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America.

•  1 – Ben Uzoh, who joined Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers, is poised to become the first former NBA player to play in the BAL, having played for the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors from 2010-12. He was also a member of the Nigeria Senior Men’s National Team at the 2016 Olympics, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and FIBA AfroBasket in 2013 and 2015.

•  3 – As Official Energy Partner of the BAL, New Fortress Energy Inc. (NFE) and the BAL will contribute three trees for every three-pointer made during the BAL season as part of “Threes for Trees,” a collaboration with international NGO Trees for the Future.

•  8 – A roster of eight broadcast partners will air BAL games around the world: Canal+, ESPN, beIN SPORTS, NBA TV, Tencent Video, TSN, American Forces Network (AFN) and Voice of America (VOA). All BAL games will also livestream on the NBA App, the official NBA website NBA.com and the official BAL website theBAL.com.

•  9 – The BAL is working with a roster of nine world-class marketing partners: Agence France Development (AFD), Flutterwave, Hennessy, Jordan Brand, New Fortress Energy (NFE), NIKE, Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Social Nation Africa (SNA) and Wilson.

•  9 – Nine players bring NBA G League experience to the BAL’s first season: Brandon Jay Costner and Prince Ibeh (Rwanda’s Patriots BBC); Myck Kabongo and Demarcus Holland (Mozambique’s Ferroviàrio de Maputo), Ibrahima Thomas (Mali’s AS Police); Uzoh, Taren Sullivan and Robert Christopher Daniels (Rivers Hoopers); and Ater Majok (Tunisia’s US Monastir).

•  12 – The inaugural BAL season will feature 12 club teams from 12 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Egypt, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.

•  20 – A total of 20 former Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa campers are on BAL team rosters, including one NBA Academy Africa prospect (Mohab Yasser Abdelaty Abdallatif of Egypt’s Zamalek).​

•  21 – There are 21 BAL players with U.S. NCAA Division I experience, with 11 teams featuring at least one former Division I player.

•  22 – The inaugural BAL season will be officiated by 22 of FIBA Africa’s top referees, a group of 19 men and three women from 16 countries selected after live and video observation by the NBA’s Referee Operations Department, in partnership with FIBA and FIBA Africa.

•  The season will feature a total of 26 games. The 12 teams are divided into three groups of four teams. The top eight teams from the group phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be single elimination in all three rounds.

•  154 – BAL roster feature 154 players from 24 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S.

•  215 – The inaugural BAL season will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 15 languages.

•  7,621 – The two BAL courts have travelled 7,621 miles from Dollar Bay, Michigan, to Kigali, Rwanda.

•  23,724 – The total number of miles travelled by 11 teams to get to Kigali.

•  36,975 – Each court consists of 255 panels and weighs approximately 16.7 tonnes (36,975 lbs.).

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi

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Tokyo, Japan. December 12th, 2025-Led by Toshihiro Nagoshi, Nagoshi Studio unveiled the first teaser trailer for its upcoming title GANG OF DRAGON at The Game Awards 2025, held on Thursday, December 11 in Los Angeles.
Teaser Trailer: youtu.be/KX2pzle9dkE?si=r591Kz3ZbPfdCzMH
Steam page: store.steampowered.com/app/4146000/

GANG OF DRAGON

 is a new action-adventure game set in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo’s iconic nightlife district. Protagonist Shin Ji-seong is a high-ranking member of a Korean crime syndicate, and is portrayed by celebrated Korean actor Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee).

Players will engage in visceral hand-to-hand combat showcasing Shin’s overwhelming physical strength, while also wielding swords, firearms, and unleashing a wide range of combat techniques. Additionally, players can race through the vibrant streets of Shinjuku, experiencing exhilarating high-speed car chases. Lastly, the game’s scenario and overall direction are led by Toshihiro Nagoshi, who is widely recognized for his emotionally rich, character-driven storytelling.

This new story will engage players in an exciting way and showcase increadible graphics for an action packed adventure. Viewers of The Game Awards were the first to get a look at the new footage!

“I’m both relieved and deeply focused as we finally reach the day to unveil GANG OF DRAGON. This project depicts, with unwavering honesty, the lives of outlaws who inhabit the real streets of Kabukicho. Through gameplay, my team and I are committed to delivering a powerful new human drama born from this world. What is shown in this teaser represents only a small part of what G.O.D. truly has in store, and we look forward to sharing much more with you in the future.” Said Toshihiro Nagoshi.

About Toshihiro Nagoshi

Toshihiro Nagoshi is a veteran game creator and President of Nagoshi Studio. Since joining SEGA in 1989, he has worked on many titles including Daytona USA. In 2005, he launched the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) series, serving as General Director for the mainline entries up through Yakuza: Like a Dragon. He founded Nagoshi Studio in 2021 and now leads the development of GANG OF DRAGON.

The post Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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Blask & Gamblers Connect Enter A New Media Partnership

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Gamblers Connect, the award-winning iGaming affiliate and media platform, is proud to announce a new media partnership with Blask, a leading AI-powered analytics ecosystem dedicated to the iGaming industry.

This collaboration marks a pivotal step in the company’s mission to provide the most accurate, transparent, and data-backed content. Under the terms of this agreement, Blask will provide Gamblers Connect with complete access to its cutting-edge market intelligence platform.

This suite includes the Blask Index and real-time data tracking across more than 100 jurisdictions, allowing for granular analysis of market dynamics, brand performance, and player behaviour. By integrating these professional-grade tools into the editorial process, Gamblers Connect will elevate the depth and precision of its industry reporting.

The cornerstone of this partnership is a commitment to sharing knowledge with the wider iGaming community. Gamblers Connect will produce four exclusive case studies throughout 2026. Released once per quarter, these comprehensive reports will utilise Blask’s advanced analytics to uncover emerging trends, benchmark operator performance, and provide actionable insights for industry stakeholders.

This alliance represents a shared vision for a more transparent iGaming sector. By combining Blask’s technological prowess with Gamblers Connect’s editorial expertise, the aim is to set a new standard for data-driven journalism.

Max Tesla, Blask CEO, commented: “Partnering with Gamblers Connect is a natural step for Blask. We are building an ecosystem of transparent analytics that empowers the industry, and GC is one of the few media partners that truly values data and knows how to work with it. I’m confident this collaboration will strengthen both sides and deliver more accurate, trustworthy, and insight-driven content to the iGaming community.”

Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder & CEO at Gamblers Connect, added: “Partnering with Blask allows us to combine their strong analytical framework with our media expertise. It’s a collaboration grounded in trust and mutual respect, with the shared goal of delivering meaningful and measurable results to the industry.”

The post Blask & Gamblers Connect Enter A New Media Partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine

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The law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan have effectively eliminated the organized criminal group created by Vadim Gordievsky from Ukraine and his accomplices, Larisa Ivchenko and Alyona Suvorova. Even though the law enforcement agencies managed to block accounts and payments of the Marginplus Company, key employees and management are still hiding.

According to the media, just a few days ago, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan revealed a large-scale shady scheme of cross-border transfers that involved numerous payment organizations and providers. The funds were disguised as legal transactions and withdrawn to the accounts of online casinos. The total volume of illegal transactions exceeded more than $1 billion.

According to law enforcement authorities in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the key organizer of the miscoding scheme, which involved bookmakers, online casinos, payment organizations, and bank employees, is Vadim Ivanovich Gordievsky from Ukraine, who was born in 1974. He was the leader of the organized criminal group and used the local Marginplus Company for these purposes (official website: marginplus.kz). In addition to companies from Kazakhstan, Gordievsky also worked with illegal Russian online casinos while helping them to facilitate illegal payments.

According to new information from law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Kazakhstan, banks and bookmakers, including the local PIN-UP bookmaker, have already terminated all cooperation with Gordievsky’s Marginplus company.

According to informburo.kz, the local licensed Pin-Up.Kz bookmaker (legal entity: Bonami LLP) declares that it has nothing to do with transactions carried out by individual payment organizations. Judicial and criminal proceedings have already been initiated against these structures, and the company itself is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies to establish all the circumstances and identify fraudulent, shady schemes.

According to unofficial information, the Pin-Up management provided the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan with all the data related to the Marginplus company belonging to Vadim Gordievsky.

As of today, all financial activities of Marginplus have been paralyzed. In addition, large amounts of money have been blocked in its bank accounts. This money should have been paid to partners, contractors, and providers, including the local Parimatch betting company. Ordinary employees of Vadim Gordievsky’s company are already looking for new work while its management, including Larisa Vladimirovna Ivchenko (listed as the head of Gordievsky’s FC Alta Capital from Ukraine), is still hiding. Alyona (Elena) Suvorova has already closed and renamed her social media profiles a few days ago. In addition, she does not respond to messages and is trying to evade responsibility.

We would like to remind the audience that Alyona Suvorova positions herself “as an entrepreneur, investor, and a crypto trader with 5+ years of experience.” According to Suvorova herself, she has been developing payment technologies in the field of FinTech for 10 years. In 2021, she opened her own business for international crypto transfers. In addition, she is the founder of the Lemoncoin Crypto Academy.

According to investigators, Gordievsky’s partner, Mikhail Kovalev (Mykhaylo Kovalov), who is a citizen of both Ukraine and Israel, as well as an owner of a number of companies in the EU, in particular, in Poland, and who has a residence permit in Spain, was closely working with Gordievsky. By using the STABLEX SOLUTION Sp. z o. o fictitious company (official website: solvexs.pl) in Poland, he was engaged in illegal payments and withdrawal of cryptocurrencies into fiat money.

At the same time, as the source notes, the mentioned management and the people involved in the money laundering of Marginplus Company will be added to the wanted list of Interpol in the nearest future. The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan has also announced that it’s going to closely monitor this case. According to local laws, participants of this shady scheme face up to nine years in prison. Information on Vadim Gordievsky’s companies and connections in other countries is also being checked.

After the initiation of criminal cases for financial crimes, fraud, and the announcement of his wanted list by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vadim Gordievsky left Ukraine on forged documents. Before diving into the world of financial fraud, he was involved in land and property issues in the Kyiv region. As of today, numerous criminal cases have been initiated.

The post Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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