Mutokambali names interim U18 squad for FIBA Zone V

RWANDA basketball head coach Moise Mutokambali has named a provisional squad for this year’s U18 FIBA Africa Zone V championship slated for May in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

RWANDA basketball head coach Moise Mutokambali has named a provisional squad for this year’s U18 FIBA Africa Zone V championship slated for May in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The regional basketball governing body is yet to fix exact dates for the youth tournament (male and women), which will also serve as qualifiers for the U18 FIBA Africa Championship – Men in July and Women in August, respectively.

Mutokambali has planned a flexible training schedule for the 20-player squad, mostly dominated by secondary school students. Lycee de Kigali (LDK) has the biggest number (7) of representatives in the team. The team trains four days a week at Amahoro Indoor Stadium in Remera.

Rwanda hosted the finals of the 2016 FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship, from July 22 to 31 , with Angola defeating Egypt 86-82 in the final to win the biennial showpiece for a record fourth time.

The hosts finished in the fifth place out of eleven countries.

The top three teams at the continental youth competition go on to represent Africa at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Championships. Angola, Egypt and Mali were the three African countries at the 2017 World Championships staged in Cairo, Egypt.

Full 20-man squad:

Gakuru Ndahiro (APACE), Landry Irumva (APE Rugunga), Collin Mananga Kazungu (College Amis des Enfants), Adelin Ndashimye (College Adventiste de Gitwe), Jean de Dieu Umuhoza (GS Kacyiru), Thierry Kundwa (IPM- Mukarange), Justin Uwitonze (ISETAR-Runda), Jonathan Yuhi Rutimirwa (Kigali Christian School), Mike Bright Byambo (Sainte Marie Raine-Muhanga), Terry Shyaka, Brown Abuyassini Murengezi and IPRC-Kigali duo of Jonathan Inkindi and Olivier Turatsinze.

The seven players from LDK are Emile Galos Kaneza, Bruce Mudende, Emmanuel Mugisha, Elias Ngoga, Theogene Niyibizi, Ryan Ntwari, and Eric Shema.

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