October 18 fixtures Men IPRC Kigali vs IPRC Musanze IPRC Huye vs APR Patriots vs Espoir Women IPRC Huye vs The Hoops Ubumwe vs APR There will be a lot at stake on Sunday when IPRC-Huye and the Hoops Rwanda go head-to-head in the women’s national basketball league. The game will get underway at 1:30pm at Kigali Arena. Under strict measures that include playing all the games behind closed doors and all teams using one joint residential camp, the 2019/20 BK Basketball National League resumes on October 18 and will be concluding on Saturday, October 24. Before the halting of the league in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, former champions IPRC Huye led the women’s league table, ahead of second-placed the Hoops Rwanda while reigning champions APR ranked third. Ubumwe completed the top four. With a duration of seven days to complete the season, only the top four will be part of the shortened tournament and they will face each other on a round-robin basis from October 18 to 20 for ranking purposes before starting the semi-finals on October 22. Table leaders will take on the bottom side in the semi-final, with the first runner-up team facing the third-placed team in the other semi-final clash. The third-place playoff and the final are scheduled for October 24. Men’s road to the final Meanwhile, the men’s category will be an eight-team contest. The teams have been divided into two groups of four following Tuesday’s draws at Kigali Arena. Group A comprises Rwanda Energy Group, UGB, IPRC-Musanze and IPRC-Kigali, while champions Patriots lead Group B that also includes APR, Espoir and IPRC-Huye. The best two teams in each pool will advance to the semi-finals, with the title game also due on October 24. All the twelve – eight in men’s category and four women’s – teams, starting on October 16, will be accommodated in a safe environment ‘bubble’ at Golden Tulip Hotel in Nyamata, 40km outside the capital.
