Rwanda Energy Group (REG) forward Olivier Shyaka has described the Basketball Africa League (BAL) as a door to professionalism and a platform for career growth.
Being champions of the local league, REG gained automatic qualification to the BAL 2022 tournament, thanks to the fact that part of the competition will be hosted in Rwanda.
Speaking to Times Sport about what the participation in the BAL means to them, Shyaka said:
"Qualifying for the BAL is a dream to me and to us as a team. We always want to shine and be great players and the BAL is the way to grow. It is a door to professionalism because it is a high-level competition that will help me and my teammates to showcase our talent,” he said.
In line with their preparations for the contest, Shyaka said they want to fight for the pride of both the club and the country.
"We now want to be ready to fight till the final for the honor of our club and for our country," he said.
The shooting guard played a key role in REG's triumph in the local league and scooped the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Among other games, he put up a spectacular performance in the playoff finals against Patriots, especially in Game 2 where he registered 22 points and eight rebounds to inspire his side to a memorable win.
Speaking about their success in the league, he said:
"Winning is fun for sure but winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting go is the point. Never being satisfied with what you have done is the point. It means to the team that where there is unity, there is always victory."
"We never gave up and were patient for this moment but it also reminded us how sweet and great winning a championship is. We are going to the BAL and this means that we have to work even harder. The best is yet to come," he added.
The second edition of the BAL will take place next year and will be contested by the league champions of Angola, Egypt, Nigeria [yet to be determined], Senegal and Tunisia who also have an automatic ticket to the final tournament.