Basketball: Ferwaba to decide fate of 2019-20 season on Sunday

The executive committee of Rwanda Basketball Federation (Ferwaba) and representatives of member clubs are due to meet via video conference on Sunday, May 17, to discuss ways of concluding the 2019/2020 campaign. Désiré Mugwiza, the Ferwaba president, confirmed the development to Times Sport on Tuesday. Following last week’s directive from the Ministry of Sports that there would be no sports event in Rwanda until September, teams and the federation alike were left in limbo whether the season will be concluded after the lockdown, or if it should be declared null and void. Initially, before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and the league was suspended mid-March, the domestic basketball season was scheduled to end with the Playoffs Games in September. While some teams find cancelling the season as the most reasonable way forward, some are still optimistic that the season would not be beyond saving in September, arguing that players would be fit to play many games in a short spell since training will be allowed to resume in August. “We have many options and opinions on the table, the extraordinary general assembly will decide what is best,” said Mugwiza. “Whether the season is cancelled or restarted after the lockdown, it is down for the league members to choose.” Close observers say that the league season should be nulled and teams – and Ferwaba – focus on other annual tournaments on the calendar line-up such as the Legacy Tournament and Agaciro Basketball Tournament. The 13-team men’s topflight league, which started last in December 2019, was brought to halt on March 15 before reaching the halfway mark. Sunday’s video conference to decide the fate of the season will also have in attendance representatives of the league’s main sponsors – Bank of Kigali. Local giants Patriots are two-time reigning champions in men’s category, while APR hold the crown in women’s championship.