Star Beer USA Founder Partners With Friends of Nigerian Basketball
Star Beer USA is a proud partner of Friends of Nigerian Basketball, a nonprofit supporting the only men’s basketball team representing Africa in the Olympics.
July 29, 2021 Valerie Ortega
If you love basketball and beer, there’s no better combination than sipping a cold bottle of Star Beer while watching the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The games are officially underway after they were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And this year, the competition between basketball teams looks like it’s going to be especially fierce.
The Olympics aim to showcase the best athletes around the world, so it’s no surprise that every basketball game will be worth watching. There’s one team you should keep an eye on, though, and they come all the way from Africa.
Team Nigeria will be representing the entire continent of Africa at this year’s Olympic Games. The only men’s basketball team from Africa to make it all the way to Tokyo, they did so with the help of Friends of Nigerian Basketball.
A nonprofit organization based out of Delaware, Friends of Nigerian Basketball hopes to connect the Nigerian diaspora around the globe by developing the game of basketball at all levels of competition. They achieved their first milestone—getting the men’s national basketball team to the Olympics—with support from ambassadors like May Chioma Odiakosa.
Founder and President of Star Beer USA, Odiakosa hails from a large African family herself and actually grew up in Nigeria. Although she lives in California now, she’s proud of her heritage, which is why she set out to share the lager beer her father always served to friends, loved ones, and esteemed guests: Star Beer.
Often referred to as the “Beer of Kings,” Star Beer has been enjoyed by Nigerians for more than 70 years. As an ambitious entrepreneur who’s proud of her roots, Odiakosa knew the lager’s light, crisp taste would win over American palates, too. She started importing the beer directly from Nigeria and distributing it along the West Coast, where it’s gaining in popularity rapidly.
Not one to forget where she came from—or to ever stop dreaming—Odiakosa jumped at the chance to partner with Friends of Nigerian Basketball. Together with the organization’s other ambassadors, she has supported their efforts to get Team Nigeria to Tokyo for the 2021 Olympic Games.
Joining the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in 1964, the men’s national basketball team in Nigeria has been steadily improving ever since. They placed in the top three of Africa’s championships eight different times between 1995 and 2017.
Although they qualified for the Olympic Games in 2012, 2016, and 2020, they never had the resources to make it to the global stage to compete against the best of the best. This year, though, the entire continent is rallying behind them in the hopes that they’ll make history.
About Star Beer USA
A minority-owned initiative that imports Africa’s favorite beer to distribute across the United States, Star Beer USA values family, community, and country. As the saying goes, every dollar you spend is a vote cast for the world you want, and when you buy from Star Beer USA, you’re contributing to the greater good. Not only are you honoring a West African tradition by bolstering our ambassador efforts, but you’re also supporting reputable research organizations. We’re proud to donate 5% of our profits in memory of Ngozi Okaka, Odiakosa’s sister, who died of cervical cancer in 2019. So what are you waiting for? Grab a six-pack at one of our retailers, and then settle in to watch the best basketball teams in the world.
