BASKETBALL has been growing in the country in the past few years, but fans who follow the game closely in Rwanda can say that 2021 was a remarkable year for the sport. It has been a year where big things happened, for example, Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, a Rwandan player set a world record for the highest number of steals in a single game. In addition to this, the country hosted and participated in big tournaments, among other developments. In this article, Times Sport looks at 5 key things that characterized basketball in Rwanda in 2021. Nshobozwabyosenumukiza sets world record for steals In February, Rwandan point-guard Jean Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza broke the world record for the highest number of steals in a single match. The Rwanda Energy Group (REG) player achieved the exploits while on national team duty at the Afrobasket qualifiers window 2 that took place in Monastir, Tunisia. He registered 14 steals in a game Rwanda played against South Sudan, beating a 44-year-old record of 11 steals set by NBA player Larry Kenon in 1976 and later equaled by Kendall Gill in 1999. Rwanda breaks 6-game winless streak in Afrobasket qualifiers The Rwandan national basketball team broke a winless streak that had lasted for 6 games in the Afrobasket qualifiers. The 62-58 win against South Sudan was the first for Rwanda in the 6 games it had played since the qualifiers started in November 2020. Rwanda finished at the bottom of Group D that had Nigeria, South Sudan and Mali but still qualified for the final tournament, thanks to the fact that they were the hosts. Cheikh Sarr appointed head coach of the national team In April 2021, the Rwanda Basketball Federation (Ferwaba) officially appointed seasoned Senegalese tactician Cheikh Sarr as the head coach of the men’s and women’s national teams. He replaced Serbian Vladimir Bosnjak who stepped down in December 2020. The Senegalese came in with a lot of experience, having coached the Senegal national team, leading them to the second round of the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup for the first time in 2014. Hosting the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Rwanda hosted the inaugural season of the BAL, a top continental club championship affiliated to the USA’s National Basketball Association (NBA) in May this year. Held at the Kigali Arena, the competition saw 12 clubs from 12 different African countries taking part. Besides bringing a number of celebrities like former NBA players Dikembe Mutombo and Joakim Noah, the showpiece was characterised by a number of unforgettable experiences including Patriots Basketball Club’s great performances that saw them reach the semi-finals. Hosting the FIBA Afrobasket 2021 In September, the FIBA Afrobasket 2021 tournament was hosted in Rwanda. The competition is a men’s basketball continental championship for African nations. Looked at as the biggest basketball event for national teams in Africa, the competition tipped off on August 24, at the Kigali Arena and concluded on September 5. It attracted 16 teams, ranging from the usual powerhouses like Senegal and Tunisia, to smaller ones like Kenya and Rwanda. Tunisia won the title, and became the first team to win back-to-back Afrobasket titles since Angola in 2009.
