Rwanda’s Volleyball governing body (FRVB) has handed APR VC left attacker Merci Gisubizo a one-year ban from all volleyball activities over misconduct during the CAVB Zone V Championship that concluded in Kigali last week. READ ALSO: Gisubizo faces lengthy ban over headbutting his coach Gisubizo was the subject of controversy when he was sent off for headbutting his coach Matthew Rwanyonga on the nose during APR’s 3-0 set semifinal defeat to Police on at BK Arena November 18. The pair were involved in a heated bust up during the second set timeout as the youngster protested against the coach’s attempt to take him off when the army side was trailing 18-21. The left attacker headbutted Rwanyonga on the nose causing scenes from the bench. The player was at the time sent off for his unsportsmanlike conduct while the coach, bleeding on the nose, was rushed to the dressing room for medical treatment. Two days later, Gisubizo apologized to the coach but it did not stop FRVB from slapping him a one-year suspension from all volleyball activities reference to a record of misconduct that characterized him at different volleyball competitions with the most recent incident unfolding during the CAVB Zone V Club Championship. The federation has on numerous occasions been unimpressed by the APR youngster’s misconduct Africa U21 Men’s Volleyball Championship held in Tunisia in August 2022 as well as domestic and regional competitions that took place in Rwanda, “Due to a serious mistake that you committed by assaulting coach Matthew Rwanyonga during the Zone V Club Championship semifinal match between APR VC and Police VC on November 18, you are suspended from all volleyball activities in Rwanda for a period of one year,” the federation said in a letter addressed to Gisubizo on Friday, November 24. The suspension not only applies to volleyball activities Rwanda but also prevents the player from transferring to foreign teams during the same period of the ban which will run until November 24, 2024.
