Espoir Basketball Club have started intensive preparations ahead of the forthcoming FIBA Zone Club Championships, scheduled for October 4-11 in Kigali.

The four-time reigning national champions are training at Amahoro indoor stadium and head coach Jean Bahufite said they are doing everything possible to be in the best shape possible as they seek to win the regional tournament on home soil.

"We have been in training for a week and the players are responding well after coming from the break since the end of last season. There is still a lot of work to do but I hope we will go in the tournament with a strong mentality, of winning the title,” he told Times Sport on Saturday.

He added, "This time we want to make sure that we reach at least the final following a poor run during last year’s edition in Mombasa. We are a winning team and I am confident we have what it takes win the title.”

Espoir, who won the Zone V title in 2012 in Kampala, will be joined by Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK) in the men’s category while the women’s category will have reigning league champions APR and 2014 winners Ubumwe BC.

Kenyan Ports Authority (men) and United States International University (women), also from Kenya, are the reigning champions.

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