Minister of Defence Juvenal Marizamunda has commended APR Basketball Club for an impressive season at the domestic and continental competitions and tasked them to challenge themselves and achieve much better results.
He was speaking at the club’s reception ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence and RDF headquarters in Kimihurura on Sunday, July 13, celebrating the club’s APR Basketball Club's recent achievements, including a third-place finish at the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the national basketball championship.
APR made headlines at BAL 2025 by setting a tournament scoring record of 123 points in a single game against Egypt’s Al Ittihad (123–90). The club also clinched the 2025 Rwanda Basketball League title after beating REG 81-72 in Game 5 of the finals, winning the series 4-1. It marked a record-extending 16th league title since the team was founded in 1995.
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Speaking at the reception which brought together club’s players, staff, and FERWABA officials, Marizamunda praised the team's progress on the continental stage.
"This shows the team is moving in the right direction,” he said. "You’ve carried your responsibilities well and shown a competitive spirit that inspires many young Rwandans,” he said.
ALSO READ: APR see off REG in Game 5, win record 16th championship
He urged players, supporters, and management to maintain the teamwork and discipline that fueled their recent success.
"Once you reach this level, there’s no going back,” he added.
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With a third-place finish at BAL, APR set the bar high by becoming only Rwandan team to achieve the feat, which made club president Richard Murefu proud after a below-standard debut season at the competition in the earlier season where they failed to make the playoffs.
"You brought joy to Rwandans.”
On a personal note, he highlighted another key achievement: APR center Aliou Diarra being selected first overall in the 2025 NBA G League International Draft by the Texas Legends.