Rwanda Energy Group (REG) women players have vowed to make the country proud ahead of the much-anticipated inaugural FIBA Africa Women's Basketball League (AWBL).

Considered as Africa’s biggest showpiece in women's basketball, AWBL will be staged in Cairo, Egypt, from December 11 through 19.

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REG has been preparing for the competition for the past few weeks and the group is in good spirit and motivated to make their debut in style.

Speaking to Times Sport, skipper Sandrine Mushikiwabo said it’s a great honor to participate in the tournament and pledged to fight to help he team perform well against Africa’s best.

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"We are in final preparations, we are ready mentally, physically and our hearts are solely into it,” she said.

Target! Absolutely the trophy

REG women may be making their debut appearance AWBL, but club point guards Rosine Micomyiza said Faustine Mwizerwa are only focused on seizing the opportunity to show what Rwandan basketball can offer at the big stages and go all the way to win the title.

"We always set the target high, and we want to win the title. But it starts with getting some wins and qualifying for the quarter-finals, and then we can go on from there. The message (for fellow players) is simple: let’s go out there and show that Africa has got talent,” Micomyiza said.

For Mwizerwa, AWBL tournament is a great opportunity show Africa that Rwandan women’s basketball is on the rise.

Esperance Mukaneza’s team travel to Cairo on Friday for the tournament. She has a group which she believes it can defy the odds and win the championship.

However, she said, it’s a challenge that every member of the team must take up and fight for it with resilience.

"We can do it. We want to go out there and to win,” she said.

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REG booked a ticket to AWBL after reaching the final of the 2023 Zone Five Women’s championship which they lost at the hands of eventual champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).