Nike is on a mission to empower the region’s youth, and it’s a bold move that’s worthy of applause.
The sportswear giant is back and this time they are celebrating the gulf city’s budding basketball scene, by featuring 15 players living in Dubai, to star in the campaign. This follows in the footsteps of their ‘We Play DXB’ campaign, which also launched last year.
The cast reflects the diversity of the gulf city, featuring athletes like 25-year-old Adji N’Diyae, who was born and raised in the UAE, and hails from a Senegalese family. N’Diyae, whose father coaches basketball clubs all over the country, is now the captain of the American University of Sharjah’s basketball team.
Then there’s Gaafar ElSouri, who is of Sudanese heritage. ElSouri, who has been a regular on Dubai’s basketball scene since a young age, managed to play the sport on a professional level abroad, playing for the Al Hilal Club in Saudi Arabia, and other teams across Europe, Southeast Asia, as well as Halifa, Canada.
And being just 12-years-old didn’t stop Nike from paying tribute to Jana Musannef. The young Syrian athlete has been playing basketball since she was six, and is the only girl who is competing in all-boys categories at Jam Academy in Dubai.
Originally from Congo, Seraphin Mboma stars alongside Musannef. The 21-year-old is the figure pushing the basketball scene forward, regularly organizing games and tournaments.
Nike’s tribute didn’t end there, the sportswear giant partnered up with the Dubai Multi Commodities Center to celebrate the community with a mural dedicated to the game and the city’s thriving community at the basketball court in Jumeirah Lake Towers.
