“I am a fan oh Hegan (basketball club)…of their discipline and I like their spirit when they’re playing,” Salma Ahmed a basketball game attendee told CCTV Africa. “They like winning, which is good for us.”

According to the news agency, the sport is rising in popularity and is nearing the level of appreciation that league football receives in the country. This year, CCTV noted, Somali teams will compete in hopes to play at the regional games to take place in Burundi.

Said Farah Dualle, Somali Basketball Federation Secretary General is looking forward to the spike in interest paying off.

“This is the twenty-seventh league we’ve organized. Whoever wins the championship will represent Somalia in the East African games,” he added.