The local governing body (Ferwaba) has added the "Rwanda Basketball Cup” to its basketball calendar.

The inaugural edition of the ground-breaking tournament is scheduled from April 26 to August 9 and it will feature teams from topflight and lower division.

Formerly, only the league and the Genocide Memorial Tournament graced Rwanda’s basketball calendar.

In an interview with Times Sport, Ferwaba Executive Director Fiona Ishimwe takes us through the purpose the competition, who eligible to participate, the structure in which the competition will take place and the impact it brings to Rwandan basketball.

Purpose of the competition

Ishimwe told Times Sport that the tournament aims to increase the number of teams playing in the country, fostering their development and raising the overall standard of play.

Participating teams

The tournament will welcome teams from both the first and second divisions, encompassing both male and female categories. This year, 21 men's teams and nine women's teams are set to participate.

The structure

Seventeen men's teams from the first and second divisions have been distributed into four groups, with the top four teams from the 2023 season standings securing direct entry into the quarter-finals.

In the women's category, the nine participating teams have been divided into two groups.

Impact of the competition

The winner of the Rwanda cup in the women’s category will represent Rwanda in Zone 5 competitions. For the men's division, the winner will earn the privilege to compete in the forthcoming East Africa Cup, an event to be announced by FIBA in the coming days.

Moreover, the winners of both the Rwanda Cup and the league will converge in the Rwanda Super Cup tournament which takes place before the new season begins. The tournament will adopt a single-game format, determining the ultimate winner after a 40-minute, four-quarter contest.