The new season of the national basketball league for men’s first and second division as well as women’s for division will begin on January 13, the Basketball governing body (Ferwaba) has announced. Desire Mugwiza, the federation president, confirmed the kick off date as approved by members of the general assembly held Saturday, December 3. The federation used to organize the pre-season for teams to prepare well for the new basketball league season but Mugwiza said that no pre-season tournament will happen before the new season as only teams can prepare for the league the way they want. “We have this time round to allow teams to find friendly matches and tournaments according to their plan before the season starts,” he said. Next season will see teams playing games at two more new basketball facilities located in Kimironko and another one that is being built at Lycee de Kigali secondary school. Other topics discussed in the general assembly include the preparation of a women’s national basketball team that will participate in the Afrobasket tournament that will take place in Rwanda next year. “Rwanda will host the 2023 Women’s Afrobasket tournament. We discussed how the team will be prepared in advance and how the team will be facilitated,” Mugwiza said. The general assembly also committed concerted efforts in preparing a stronger Rwanda Energy Group (REG) team that will represent in the Basketball Africa League 2023 to ensure that the team reach the furthest possible they can during the 2023 BAL finals that will take place in Kigali. No Rwandan side, between Patriots and REG, managed to at least reach the final of the BAL despite playing the finals on home soil. Next year will be the third and last time Rwanda hosts the continental club’s elite basketball tournament and Ferwaba wants to take the occasion to make sure that, in REG, at least a Rwandan team can win a trophy before the home support. Also discussed, Mugwiza said, was the need to put “a lot of effort” into the 3x3 game because it turned out that there was talent involved. According to the federation president, next year there will be an under 16 and under 17 leagues as well as an inter-university because “it is the foundation of being the best players in the national teams. We want to build the game around young people.”
