Like many African kids, Bienvenu Niyonsaba grew up playing football – the most accessible and popular sport – and aspired to take his game to professional ranks. 

In fact, he never touched a basketball until he was 14, when he went to secondary school. Ten years later, Niyonsaba is the captain of APR basketball club and a member of the men’s senior basketball team. 

He was named on the five-man Team of the Year for the 2018/2019 local basketball local.

In this issue, Weekend Sport looks at the life journey of APR star Bienvenu Niyonsaba, who is widely regarded as one of the best players in local basketball. 

Bienvenu Niyonsaba (R) with APR president, Richard Murefu, after their side finished second at this year’s Heroes Cup Basketball Tournament in February. Courtesy photos.

Born on July 5, 1995 in Kagundu, Masisi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niyonsaba is the first-born from a family of five – three girls and two boys. 

Niyonsaba never discovered his talent at his early age mainly because of lack of basketball infrastructure and professional scouts. He confesses that he grew up playing football and idolizing footballers, the likes of Brazil legend Ronaldo and France icon Zinedine Zidane.

On his list of things that interested him, basketball ranked among the last and only played it for fun, little did he know that the game would end up being his bread earner.

"I did not touch a basketball – leave alone playing it – until I went to second school, all I knew as sport was football,” says Niyonsaba, confessing that, "When I was younger, I aspired to be a professional footballer, I had talent and loved the game.”

But, his football dream started fading away with time until he completely switched to basketball as his main and only sport during his advanced level of secondary school.

League debut, and success at IPRC-South

Bienvenu Niyonsaba (C) was named on the 2018-19 Team of the Year, was well awarded as the best defensive player of the season. 

In 2014, Niyonsaba made his league debut with then newcomers Gisenyi basketball club (GBC) where they finished in seventh position. The following year, he signed for another newly formed team IPRC-South as the Huye-based side were on a recruitment spree to join the top tier league.

"I remember their coach Didier Bineza asking me to join his club, I did not give it a second thought. I wanted to up my game,” he recalls. In their maiden league campaign, Niyonsaba captained IPRC-South to in fifth position. 

The following season, they brusquely grew in strength from a struggling side to a force to reckon with in the championship as they constantly gave hard times to well-established teams. 

On top of the preseason tournament triumph, IPRC-South also finished second in the league before defied the odds to clinch the Playoffs Games title after edging league champions Patriots 3-1 in the best-of-five finals. 

Move to APR

After the 2016/2017 season, in which IPRC-South dropped back to a mid-table side, and ended with no new trophy in the club’s cabinet, Niyonsaba was signed by former regional giants APR and, like was it had been at IPRC-South, he would soon be named the team captain.

"APR are one of the biggest basketball organisations we have in the country, I saw the move as a chance for me to realise my dream of playing at the highest level, that’s why I did not hesitate.”

2018-19, ‘best’ season

While it was his first season with APR, Niyonsaba also considers it as his best season yet as he led the army side to a third position in the league, only behind playoff finalists Patriots and Rwanda Energy Group.

"I think we really gave our best as a team, and also at individual level. The first two teams were just better,” Niyonsaba told this publication. "But, personally, this was my best season yet.”

He was awarded as the best power forward of the season, and, subsequently, was part of the Team of the Year. 

Niyonsaba, who stands at 2.02m, may have stopped playing football, but, he says, he is still a big fun of the game, and considers himself a diehard supper of England giants Manchester United.

Representing Rwanda

The soft spoken hoops star made his international debut in 2014 with the U-18 men’s national team during the FIBA Africa Zone V Championship held in Kampala, Uganda, where Rwanda finished second. 

Three years later, he received his maiden call-up in the senior team during the qualifiers for the FIBA World Championship finals, held in China last year.

"I am not (yet) at the level that I want, not until I have earned a regular spot in the national team. So the hard work continues, and hopefully I will make it to the next call-up, and call-ups after.”

Rwanda has been confirmed as the host for the 2021 African Basketball Championship (AfroBasket) finals tournament. 

‘Influential man’ 

While describing him, in a separate interview, APR head coach Aimé Karim Nkusi said that "Niyonsaba is a kind and influential man with a positive thinking and gift to inspire confidence amongst his teammates. 

"He is a good leader on court.”