Though United Generation Basketball (UGB) has consistently stood out for its development of young talent, it is not often rated among the top contenders for the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) trophy. However, as the 2025 season tips off, the club has set an ambitious target of reaching the playoffs, as it continues developing young talents. ALSO READ: Basketball: Ndizeye off to Morocco, Hagumintwari returns to Patriots “Our target for this season is clear: to promote and develop young Rwandan talent, and to build a competitive team capable of qualifying for the playoffs,” the club’s head coach Yves Murenzi told Times Sport in an exclusive interview. The team opens its 2025 season campaign against Kepler Basketball Club on Saturday, January 25 at Kepler Court in Kinyinya, Kigali. Murenzi noted that the team is working hard in training, and everything is progressing well. “Our primary focus has been building team chemistry, as 60 percent of the roster consists of new players,” he said. This season, UGB has brought on board new talents from various local teams and foreign clubs. These include Thierry Nkundwa, a guard cum forward from Tigers BBC, known for his scoring ability and defensive tenacity, Jean Phillippe Kubanatubane, an experienced playmaker who can lead the team and has great scoring ability, and Mike Mugalu, a versatile centre from Orion BBC. ALSO READ: Basketball: Clubs scramble for new signings as new season tips off The team also added Doumbya Mohamed, an experienced Senegalese player from Burundi’s Urunani BBC. Meanwhile, on Friday night, the 2025 season tipped off with a number of games. During the opening day, Tigers beat Espoir 80-73, while Patriots beat newcomers AZOMCO 89-64. UGB’s first opponent in the 2025 season, Kepler BBC believes it is going to be a good and exciting season. It's going to be an exciting season for us. We have added new players. I am confident that things will go well,” said Aristide Mugabe, Kepler’s assistant coach. Kepler has added former APR forward Elie Kaje to their roster as well as former Espoir guard Olivier Turatsinze.
