DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 19 -- VICE President Deogratius Ndejembi, has agreed to become the patron of basketball in the country, expressing his passion for the sport and his ambition to see it achieve popularity comparable to football.

He urged artists and businesspeople to invest in basketball by owning teams, saying greater private investment would increase competition and excitement around the sport, as has been the case with football.

Ndejembi named musicians Alikiba and Harmonize among the influential figures who could use their popularity to promote basketball, citing artist Emanuel Mkono, popularly known as Nahreel, and his involvement with Reel basketball team as an example of how celebrity investment can support the sports growth. ...