SaturdayGroup BEspoir vs UGB 11am

Group APatriots vs APR 1pm

Group CIPR -South vs REG 3pm

Sunday APR vs 30-Plus 9amIPRC-South vs IPRC-Kigali 1pmCSK vs Espoir 3pm

Women Ubumwe vs The Hoops 11am

Espoir Basketball Club will today take on UGB in a pre-season’s championship at Club Rafiki court in Nyamirambo, which opens Saturday and runs through November 20.

The tournament has attracted nine clubs of the 12 that will feature in next season’s men’s league, while only three will compete in the women category.

The men’s team category has been sub-divided into three groups; A, B and C each comprising three teams each which will face each other on a round robin format.

The top team in each group will automatically qualify for the semi-finals, while the best loser across the three groups will occupy the fourth semi-final slot.

Group A is comprised of last season’s pre-season and playoffs winners IPRC-South, IPRC-Kigali, and debutants Rwanda Energy Group (REG), who are under the care of former Espoir coach Jean Bahufite.

Group B consists of last year’s pre-season tournament beaten finalists Espoir, Cercile Sportif de Kigali (CSK) and United Generation Basketball (UGB), while Group C has the reigning league champions Patriots, APR and Kimisagara-based side 30-Plus.

Nyamirambo-based five-time league champions Espoir are aiming to make up for the disappointment of losing the final when they went down 83-64 to IPRC-South.

Led by new head coach Maxime Mwiseneza, they have set clear targets this season, including winning the first competition on the calendar, according to their coach.

"Winning the pre-season is obviously out first test and our first target,” Mwiseneza told Saturday Sport.

He added, "It will be tough since the standard of basketball in Rwanda has improved compared with the previous years. Every team has prepared well and has set almost the same objectives. In light of this fact, the players have to work hard this season to achieve our goals.”

In their first game today, Mwiseneza’s Espoir face a UGB side that have a lot to prove this season, before taking on Cercle Sportif in their second game at the National Paralympics Committee gymnasium on Sunday.

The semifinal matches are scheduled for next weekend.

IPRC-South will begin their pre-season title defence against newly formed REG at Club Rafiki.

Meanwhile in the women’s category, games start on Sunday with Ubumwe taking on Hoops Rwanda at NPC gymnasium.

The third team in the group, IPRC-South, will also play in the round robin format after which the top team at the end will be crowned champions.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw