00:00 I think everyone in this arena is a giant
00:18 Masai, thank you for not only your generous introduction but more importantly for being
00:45 behind this idea of giants of Africa.
01:02 Africa is a giant.
01:09 Giants are giants.
01:16 But surely it's time.
01:25 We don't need to keep being reminded.
01:31 We should know it, embrace it and be the giants that we are and that we should be.
01:48 You know the whole idea of being a giant among other things is a matter of choice.
02:01 You've got to decide.
02:04 You've got to make that choice.
02:08 And do that knowing that everyone of us in Africa, in Asia, in America, in Europe, in
02:26 Latin America, wherever, everyone has a possibility of being a giant and should be.
02:47 This whole idea of having Africa and Africans being sympathized with, being supported by
03:11 everyone else because it's like we are in a place where we are behind everybody else
03:24 in terms of development of all sorts, including in sports.
03:35 We have it.
03:42 We have more that should put us in front of everyone else.
03:49 We have everything.
03:54 We have the people.
03:58 We have the resources.
04:01 We have the talent.
04:09 And our people have brain as much as anyone else.
04:26 As I said a while ago, to just give an example of how good we can be, the MVP today, a young
04:50 African, a giant from Cameroon, Joe Erebit.
05:05 That's just an example of how one or more or many of those young people who are here
05:18 who are entertaining us can be as good as Joe Erebit, as others who have come before
05:29 him who come from here, from this continent.
05:40 So Maasai, I thank you for creating this whole idea of identifying young people, bringing
05:57 them here.
05:59 You could have taken them anywhere else and they would be just as fine.
06:05 Tomorrow it will be another place, but these young people are just being reminded and through
06:14 them the rest of the young people of our continent that we are as good as anyone anywhere else.
06:33 And we have to make that choice of thinking of ourselves as potentially giants, but we
06:51 should stop being just potential giants.
06:56 We should be the real giants.
07:03 It takes hard work.
07:08 To be a giant, as I said, once is a choice.
07:13 Well, maybe not everyone is going to make that choice.
07:20 Some people may want to be the opposite because it is the simplest thing.
07:34 That choice doesn't give you any burden to do things, to work hard.
07:46 Also people may choose the easy way, but you shouldn't choose the easy way.
07:52 You should choose that path.
07:56 We are going to show up and work hard and develop ourselves and develop each other to
08:06 the fulfillment of our potential.
08:18 Through the 16 teams representing 16 countries here and to others who are not able to be
08:28 here with us, we should grow, we should work with each other, we should work together to
08:41 fulfill this dream of our continent.
08:52 As I interestingly said, he's Nigerian, he's Kenyan, he's Rwandese.
09:09 Let me tell you something similar to that.
09:14 I was born here.
09:16 I grew up in Uganda.
09:19 My wife was born in Burundi.
09:21 We met in Kenya and we are here.
09:33 So Africans, that's who we are.
09:44 We are brothers.
09:45 We are sisters.
09:49 We are each other.
09:52 I am you, you are me.
10:02 And the best way to bring that out to everyone is through talent of sports.
10:11 Like today, these giants, they are giants, they will be in basketball, but they can be
10:25 giants in everything else.
10:34 And it is just a reminder that all of us, you and me and others we know who are not
10:45 here with us, can be giants.
10:50 I end on the note of saying thank you, Masai.
10:58 Thank you, the team that works with you.
11:03 Thank you, Amadou, who is here with us, who is part of this spirit and team to promote
11:17 Africa, our possibilities, and what we can be.
11:25 And on a personal note, I thank you that through these young people, you make us feel real
11:40 giants.
11:41 Thank you very much.
11:42 [ Applause ]
11:48 (music)
