As preparations for Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2024 enter a crucial stage, debutants APR aren’t sleeping on the mission as a big test awaits them in the Sahara Conference in Dakar, Senegal come May.
The Rwandan champions are currently holding a 10-day training camp in Doha, Qatar, as they look to defy odds on their very first appearance at the continental premier club basketball competition.
Some members of the squad previously took part in the competition while others are looking forward to making their debut one for the books.
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Forward William Robeyns was part of the APR roster that ended their 14-year title jinx in October 2023. His eyes are now set on not only participating in BAL for the first time but to also help the army side become the first Rwandan team to win the competition since its inception in 2021.
It is an ambition he believes his team can achieve but only if every member of the roster works hard for it.
"BAL is at a high level, and I want to work hard so that, together with my teammates, we can emerge victorious," Robeyns told Times Sport.
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Kigali has since 2021 been hosting BAL playoffs and finals but no Rwandan team managed to lift the championship on home soil.
Expectations are now as high as ever as Rwandan basketball enthusiasts bet on APR to end the drought and succeed where the likes of Patriots and Rwanda Energy (REG) have failed.
Star point guard Adonis Filer was part of the REG team that twice crashed out of the playoffs in Kigali.
He may not know how to win the competition but his individual exploits and experience have never been doubted. The American will this time be playing the 2024 edition in APR colors and all he wants from his teammates camping in Qatar is to focus on mental preparation if they are to beat the best and win the championship.
"We are striving to get our minds right by playing against top-tier teams, ensuring that we are prepared to give our best effort," Filer said.
APR’s BAL campaign begins at Dakar Arena which will host the Sahara Conference from May 4-12.
Pooled alongside Tunisia’s US Monastir, Senegal's AS Douanes and Nigerian Champions Rivers Hoopers, Mazen Trakh’s side will be looking to secure a ticket for the playoffs and finals which will take place in Kigali from May 24 to June 1.
Let’s do it!
You always want to hear such a word from your captain and that is what ambitious APR skipper Ally Kazingufu is doing.
It is, yes, important to first outperform Sahara Conference rivals and secure a spot in the quarterfinals but every player at the club knows that the goal is to lift the coveted trophy before their home crowd.
Kazingufu is only looking forward to winning BAL with APR and he has made his message to his teammates clear: "Let’s go out there to compete and show the world that Africa has got talent."
Trakh has got the players he wanted and all eyes are now turned on him. In addition to Filer, the seasoned American coach has BAL 2022 MVP Michael Dixon, Zion Styles and Dario Nathan Henry Hunt all of whom were brought in before the beginning of the 2023 season.
On the other side, one homegrown player stands out when it comes to BAL: Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza.
Nshobozwa will be making his fourth BAL appearance in a row, having previously represented Patriots and REG.
The Rwandan point guard attributed his consistency to hard work and divine assistance. With season 4 on the horizons, Nshobozwa emphasized that the current training camp in Doha will play a significant impact in elevating their performance considering the buildup games that they are playing with Qatari top basketball teams.
He told Times Sport that his confidence has reached another level prior to the tournament.