Senegal won the boys’ 3×3 basketball tournament and claimed the girls’ bronze medal at the JOJ.
The boys’ team, known as the Lionceaux, captured the country’s first title in the discipline following a tense final against Lithuania. Frédéric Clovice Mané scored with one second remaining in regulation to tie the match at 12-12, according to reports. In overtime, Papa Mamadou Cissé secured the decisive point for a 14-13 victory over Lithuania, a nation that won in 2014.
In the semifinals, Senegal defeated Germany before reaching the gold-medal match. “We gave our maximum,” Frédéric Clovice Mané told the Agence de presse sénégalaise. Papa Amadou Cissé added that he felt deeply emotional after the win.
The Senegalese girls’ team secured the bronze medal after overcoming a late deficit against Egypt. Trailing 15-10 with one minute remaining, the team scored four two-point shots within 54 seconds. Bintou Bangoura then scored the game-winning basket at the buzzer.
Léopold Germain Senghor, chief of staff to the Minister of Sports, told the Agence de presse sénégalaise that the two medals reward years of preparation. He noted that the squads have maintained stability, stating, “This group has worked for two years and has known only two changes: one among the girls and another among the boys.” During their run, the girls’ team defeated France and Poland.
Following the tournament’s conclusion, the president of the basketball federation announced a financial bonus of 500,000 CFA francs, equivalent to approximately 760 euros, for each member of both medal-winning selections. The basketball successes propelled Senegal to sixth place in the overall medal table with a total of seven medals.
Related reading
