The basketball federation is expanding its player scouting campaign as it looks for young basketball players born to Rwandan parents abroad, to beef up the national team.
In an interview with Times Sport, the national team head coach Cheikh Sarr said he is working together with the federation (FERWABA) to look for the best prospects both locally and overseas.
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"I've shared with the federation a plan of establishing a showcase overseas which could help us check on the best players. The federation’s technical director and assistant coaches are doing a great job on contacting partners to be able to add value to the squad for both men and women, boys and girls,” he noted.
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One of the foreign-based young players who recently graced the national team was Bruno Shema who plays in Belgium. He was among the players who would have played for Rwanda at the AfroCAN finals in Angola earlier this year, but he could not feature because of illegibility issues that had not yet been sorted out.
"We are working to get him so he can help us for the next event. But, everything is based on try out and the player's state of competency. For sure, if he is available he could make it to the squad as many others on the loop,” Sarr said.
The federation has random partners who give it information about the Rwandan talents abroad. Times Sport understands that some of these are parents or relatives of the young players.
"We are lucky to have the whole Rwandan basketball community getting involved in terms of sharing information about the potential prospect locally or overseas. Parents are interested and willing to share information with the Federation. We are making the follow-up,” Sarr noted.
"Other countries like South Sudan are doing it. Rwanda has the tradition of bringing players from overseas and that culture did not stop because players such as William Robeyns, Axel Mpoyo, Ntore Habimana, Noah Bigirumwami, made it.”
The foreign-based players on the national team include Sano Rutatika, Osborn Shema, Cadeaux de Dieu Furaha, Emile Galoise Kazeneza, and Dan Manzi.
The squad also has local professional players such as Jean-Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, Olivier Turatsinze, Steve Hagumintwari, Dieudonné Ndizeye, Patrick Nshizirungu, and others including Prince Ibeh, and Kendall Gray, who are naturalized.