After enduring a 14-year trophy drought APR could be declared winners of the Rwanda Basketball League title on Friday, September 8, if they beat Rwanda Energy Group (REG) in game 4 of the best-of-seven playoff finals. APR leads the series 3-0, and winning the fourth one will mean that they are the 2023 champions. Since 2009, APR has not won a national league title as the likes of REG, Patriots and Espoir dominated local basketball. ALSO READ: APR Vs REG: It’s championship or Game 5 Lately, the army side looks set to put all the bad history aside, grab the trophy and represent the country at the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Speaking to Times Sport, Elia Kaje, a power forward who plays for APR, said he is proud they have reached where they are and expressed optimism that the trophy is coming home. This Friday if things go as expected, we will win the title after such a long time,” he noted. ALSO READ: Mpoyo drops double-double as APR edge closer to championship Igor Mugisha, a former player of the club, told Times Sport that they should win the championship because they have done a lot, especially in terms of investment. I played for APR for seven years but at the end of the 2009 season, I had grown older and the foreign players also left. We have not won trophies since then. This year the management of the team put in all possible investments, for example, bringing the best players and a great coach. It gives us hope that the team will win the championship,” he said. ALSO READ: PHOTOS: Finals: Holland steals the show as APR take 2-0 series lead against REG “Winning the championship means a lot for APR because it is a team that has been playing in the league for many years and has had the most trophies.” APR won the championship in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009, meaning that they are the most decorated team in Rwandan basketball history.
