Kriol Star Basketball Guard, Joel Almeida To Be Presented With 2025 Ubuntu Trophy

Almeida, with his brother Ivan, played a pivotal role in transforming Kriol Star Basketball from a local club and foundation into a top club on the continent, helping the team and country qualify for the BAL for the first time this season.  He organizes basketball clinics and camps that have reached over 100 youth and aspiring players over the past year, fostering player and coach development and popularizing the game of basketball in Cape Verde.  The club’s primary goal is to provide access through sports to underserved communities, promoting inclusion and providing opportunities for vulnerable youth.

During the 2025 BAL regular season, Almeida played in all six games against US Monastir (Tunisia), Petro de Luanda (Angola), and ASC Ville de Dakar (Senegal) and helped his team clinch a spot in the postseason, finishing third in the Sahara Conference (3-3) and No. 7 seed across all three conferences.  He averaged 9 points and 3 rebounds per game.  Almeida is a member of the Cape Verde Men’s National Team.

Previous BAL Ubuntu Trophy winners include Hichem Benayad-Cherif (Algeria’s Groupement Sportif des Pétroliers; 2021), Jean-Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza (Rwanda Energy Group Basketball Club; 2022), Tonny Drileba (Uganda’s City Oilers; 2023) and Alkaly Ndour (Senegal’s AS Douanes; 2024).