The Djiboutian National Development Basketball Team traveled to Camp Lemonnier to play the Camp Lemonnier All-Stars in the first ever “Battle of the Black Top,” December 30, 2009, a game that was about more than just a score.

“This game is great for U.S. relations with our host nation Djibouti,” said U.S. Army Major Reginald Kornegay, coach of the Djiboutian National Development Team. “And it allows the Djiboutians to be brought into our world for a few hours while letting them showcase their talents on the court.”

The Camp Lemonnier All-stars, a team that consists of service members and base civilian contractors, took the lead and never let up, winning the game 74-44.

Despite the loss, the Djiboutians played hard and were all smiles after the game.

“This is a once and a lifetime experience for our team,” said Abdisalm Asowe, small forward on the Djiboutian National Development Team. “We had a great time and tried our best. The crowd and court were unlike anything we’ve played with before and made the game fun.”

The crowd was a mixture of African and American culture, with a special guest of honor, Mohamed Arref, the legal advisor of Djiboutian President Guellah, who assisted in coordinating the event.

“The crowd did a really good job,” said Kornegay. “They really got into it and were cheering for both the Djiboutians and the Americans. It was a great experience.”

Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Baker, starting power forward of the Camp Lemonnier All-Stars, believes that events like this are good for both teams and countries.

“The overall experience is a great one for both teams,” said Baker. “It allows the Djiboutians to see what life is like here for us and it allows us to share experiences together and build good relationships.”

After the game, both teams met up at half-court to shake hands, talk about the game and receive trophies.

“Djibouti has talent,” said Baker. “They have good fundamentals and love to run the ball up and down the court. I expect to see big things from them in the future, and I look forward to see how they progress.”

The Djiboutian National Development Basketball Team hopes to continue its advancement in the basketball world and one day become eligible to compete on a national level.

“We’ve been training for 7-months,” said Kornegay. “This game is a good learning experience for the Djiboutians and will help them in the future.”

In the end, the goal of the game was to help build a localized familiarization with the Horn of Africa while having some fun.

“I love this stuff,” said Kornegay. “This game will go a long way to build better relationships with not just Djibouti, but all the nations in the Horn of Africa.”