Ex-NBA star Luol Deng is the new president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation (SSBF).
The 34-year-old three-time NBA All Star clinched the seat unopposed during the body’s General Assembly last month.
Deng was born in Wau in what is now South Sudan, but was forced to flee the country five years later due to war.
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He learnt to play basketball in Egypt before his family settled in London, and then moved to the United States to attend Duke University.
Deng, a small forward, spent 10 years with the Chicago Bulls from 2004 and was twice an NBA all-star, in 2012 and 2013.
He also appeared in the NBA for Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, and for Great Britain at their home London 2012 Olympics.
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South Sudan is thought to have potential as a basketball nation due to its statistically tall population, and broke away from the rest of Sudan in 2011.
Initial challenges for Deng will be competing more regularly in African tournaments and attracting eligible players from overseas.
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