FIBA U18 African Championship - Team profile: Rwanda
The nation of Rwanda in recent times has become the hub of African basketball. They have hosted all the major events of FIBA Africa from BAL, AfroBasket to FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
KIGALI (Rwanda) – The nation of Rwanda in recent times has become the hub of African basketball. They have hosted all the major events of FIBA Africa from BAL, AfroBasket to FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
Though it might seem that they are not yet reaping the gains of their investment in basketball, the country is surely on its way to joining the league of big African basketball nations as they are taking developmental issues seriously at youth cadre.
The national U18 team only a few weeks back was in Kampala, Uganda for the FIBA U18 African Championship Zone 5 qualifiers and was in perfect form to pick the sole ticket for the Final Round in Madagascar.
Team: Rwanda
FIBA Ranking: 51st (World); 9th (Africa)
Last participation at FIBA U18 African Championship: 2018 (6th place out of 11 teams)
Best results at FIBA U18 African Championship: 5th (2016)
How they qualified for the 2022 FIBA U18 African Championship: Rwanda secured this year's FIBA U18 African Championship by emerging winner of the Qualifiers for Zone 5.
World: Rwanda have never made an appearance at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.
History/Qualification: Rwanda have qualified for their fifth FIBA U18 African Championship appearances. The others were in 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2018. Rwanda hosted the 2016 edition of the tournament.
Player to watch out for: Dick Rutatika Sano was crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament in a two-legged round-robin format played in Kampala. The Rwanda Captain, Dick Sano will be one of the stars to look out for given his performance in the qualifiers. Dick Rutatika Sano and Ghislain Nubaha contributed a combined 19 points-11points each.
Back in 2019, he featured for the Rwanda U16 team in Cape Verde where his team finished 5th place.
Head coach: Yves Murenzi has worked as financial specialist in IFAD Funded Projects /Rwanda since 2011. He is Head coach of United Generation Basketball (UGB) since 2013 and Head coach of Rwanda Basketball National Team U16 & U18 since 2017.
Outlook: Rwanda will be in Antananarivo, Madagascar as champions of FIBA Africa Zone 5 after they grabbed the sole ticket at the expense of Tanzania and Uganda in an impressive fashion. The youngsters claimed the title of the biennial regional tournament after a 84-49 blowout of Tanzania in their final game.
If their progression is anything to go by, Rwanda look set to target a podium finish but they have to contend with reigning champions Mali, vice champions of 2020 Senegal,, Egypt, Guinea, Benin, Tanzania and host Madagasscar.
FIBA