PATRIOTS Basketball Club have started residential camp for intensive preparations ahead of the resumption of the 2019/20 BK Basketball National League.

The league resumes from a seven-month break on October 18.

The three-time reigning champions, who are using Green Hills Academy as their team’s camp, have not held any group training since March after all sports activities in the country were suspended to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

American Dean Murray is leading the team in camp, and will also be in charge until the end of the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) in December.

Speaking to Times Sport on Monday, Claude Mukurarinda, the team manager, confirmed that "we have started training in camp, and players are progressively adapting to the intensive work after such a long time without competitions.”

He added: "Players and staff took Covid-19 tests and all returned negative results before starting training. The camp is safe and everyone is fit and healthy. We will undergo another round of testing on October16 before the league resumes.”

This publication understands that two days prior to the league’s restart on Sunday, October 16, all teams will camp at Golden Tulip Hotel in Nyamata, Bugesera, for ‘better coordination’ of the competition.

In a league of 13 teams, it is expected that only the top eight – split into two groups of four – will make the shortened version of the championship. The best two in each group will automatically qualify for the semi-finals.

The eight teams

REG, Patriots, APR, IPRC Kigali, IPRC Huye, UGB, IPRC Musanze and Espoir.