Firebird Basketball Alumnus Amadou Gallo Fall Featured on CNN International
THIES, SENEGAL – Former Firebirds men's basketball player and 1993 Magna Cum Laude graduate Amadou Gallo Fall was featured on CNN International during an Inside Africa episode that aired on Friday, January 25th at 12:30 p.m. EST.
The feature focuses on Fall's philanthropist organization - the Sports for Education and Economic Development in Senegal Academy, or SEEDS. Fall, who currently serves as the vice-president of the National Basketball Association (NBA), is in charge of developing the sport in Africa. The SEEDS Academy is based at the National Centre of Physical and Sporting Education (CNEPS) in Thies, Senegal, 43 miles east of the country's capital, Dakar.
Fall, who was first discovered at a basketball camp in Senegal by a member of the Peace Corps, went on to play at University of the District of Columbia. An imposing, 6-foot-9 center, he started in all 30 games for the Firebirds in the 1989-90 season, during which he averaged 6.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per-game. His career was cut short due to a wrist injury, but he went on to graduate with a degree in Biology.
Upon graduation from University of the District of Columbia, Fall went on to work for the Senegalese Basketball Federation. The squad he assembled won the 1997 African Championship and went on to participate in the 1998 World Championship. While working at the Senegalese Basketball Federation, he mentored players and provided assistance to bring them to the United States to further their education. While accompanying the Senegalese National Team to the World Championships in 1998, he was hired to be a scout for the Dallas Mavericks. He then ascended to the role of Director of Player Personnel and Vice President of International Affairs, and served in that capacity for 12 years.
In 2002, Fall created the SEEDS Academy, aiming to find young Senegalese from across the country to offer them structure and financial backing to take care of all their school and sports needs. In 10 years, the SEEDS Academy has sent about 40 young basketball players to study in the United States. Even though only one has ascended to the NBA – former New York Knicks center Mouhamed Saer Sene – the others are currently students or graduates.