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Kawhi Leonard's Africa visit wins hearts as NBA star builds courts and inspires youth in Rwanda

Kawhi Leonard's Africa visit wins hearts as NBA star builds courts and inspires youth in Rwanda

Time of India4 hours ago
Kawhi Leonard's Africa visit wins hearts as NBA star builds courts and inspires youth in Rwanda (Image Source: Getty Images)
NBA
player Kawhi Leonard arrived in Rwanda on August 3 and remained for four days. Through sports and education, his objective was to support children. He spoke with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
In addition, he started a new basketball court and mentored young players. He came as part of the 2025 Giants of Africa Festival. It drew much of notice to children's athletics in Kigali.
Kawhi Leonard visits Rwanda for youth and sports talks
Kawhi Leonard arrived in Rwanda on August 3. He met President Paul Kagame in Kigali. Their private meeting lasted two hours. They talked about how sports can give young people better chances. The focus was on building dreams through education and support.
The visit was part of the 2025 Giants of Africa Festival. The event unites players, coaches, and artists from more than twenty nations. Kawhi wanted to show how basketball can inspire youth. President Kagame praised him during a basketball camp. He thanked Leonard for caring about African youth.
Kawhi Leonard opens court and trains young players in Kigali
On August 4, Leonard opened a new basketball court at St. Ignatius School in Kigali. The court was part of the Built Within project.
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This program will build 100 courts across Africa. Kawhi helped design the court himself. It has words like 'Play Hard, Have Fun' and 'Be Great.' The colors were from his old schools in the U.S.
He also held a free clinic on the new court. Fifty kids aged 12 to 17 joined. Leonard taught them basketball basics. He showed them how to shoot, dribble, and defend. He also talked about having the right mindset. Each child got a free T-shirt and New Balance shoes.
Leonard also visited other youth games in the city. He gave short talks to players. He told them to believe in themselves and to never give up.
Later, President Kagame met with Leonard and Masai Ujiri, the co-founder of Giants of Africa. They met at Club Rafiki in Kigali. They talked about bigger plans. Their goal is to connect sports with education and safe spaces for kids.
Also Read:
Nancy Lieberman hits back at Jeff Teague over 'not that good' remark on Caitlin Clark
China is Kawhi Leonard's next destination. He will remain there ten days. By creating youth basketball leagues worldwide, he hopes to assist more children.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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