APR and national volleyball team youngster Yves Mutabazi is set for professional trials with Japanese topflight league side Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler. Mutabazi Yves. According to the Rwanda Volleyball Federation secretary general, Christian Hatumimana, Mutabazi will spend one year with the Tokyo-based club, and if he impresses, he will sign the contract. “He will travel at the end of this month and if they see potential in him, he will sign a contract, and if they don’t like what they see, he will return home next year. Nonetheless, even training with a top club like that, will help raise his game,” Hatumimana said. The 20-year-old youngster was supposed to go in July but the travel was postponed because he was preparing for the senior six exams. Mutabazi has been a regular for the U-21 national team and participated in U-21 Africa Championships in Tunisia and World Championships in Ankara, Turkey, two years ago. Last year, he competed in U-23 Africa Championships in Egypt. This year, he got his first call up to the senior national team that played in the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville as well as the Africa Nations Championship which was held in Egypt where Rwanda finished in fifth position. The manager of the Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler, Hiroyuki Furuta, was in Rwanda during this year’s Zone V Championships which was won by Rwanda after defeating Kenya 3-2 in the final. After seeing him in action, Furuta recommended Mutabazi for professional trials with the Japanese first division club. Another Rwandan, Nelson Murangwa, who features for Rayon Sports VC, had pro trials at the same club for five months before returning home in January after failing to agree on terms but he has since joined Middelfart VC of Denmark. Mutabazi, who can play as a right-attacker or left attacker, joined APR Volleyball Club two years ago from Group Scolaire de Butare. Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler is a men’s volleyball team based in Oita City, Japan. It currently plays in V. League, the top tier of the Japanese volleyball hierarchy. It represented Japan at the 2014 Asia Men’s Club Volleyball Championship. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
