RWANDA Basketball Association (FERWABA) in partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) will inaugurate the youth basketball league – Junior NBA Rwanda League on Saturday.

The championship, which is a school-based basketball programme for boys and girls aged between 10 and 14 years, will be launched this afternoon at Amahoro Indoor Stadium, starting at 5pm.

The league features 30 teams from schools across Rwanda competing in Eastern and Western Conferences, with each school representing one of the 30 NBA teams and receiving corresponding NBA team-branded t-shirts for their games.

The top eight teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs and the two conference winners will go on to face each other in the final in November. The league starts this month and will run through to November.

Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball participation programme for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.

During the 2017-18 season, the NBA will reach more than 26 million youth in 71 countries through a variety of camps, clinics, skills challenges, league play and outreach events.

"We are thrilled to announce the launch of the first Jr. NBA League in Rwanda in partnership with FERWABA,” says Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Vice President & Managing Director for Africa.

”This is our 13th Jr. NBA programme in Africa and it supports our efforts of making the game of basketball accessible across the continent,” he added.

The NBA has a long history in Africa with 12 African-born players featured on NBA rosters at the start of the 2017-18 season.

The Jr. NBA Rwanda League is the13th of its kind in Africa and builds on similar initiatives in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.

Eastern Conference

East: GS Saint Aloys Rwamagana, IP Mukarange, GS Kabare, GS Gahini and Kagitumba HS.

Central: Lycee de Kigali, GS Saint Andre, Green Hills Academy, Kigali Christian school and P.S Rwesero

South: St. Joseph Kabgayi, PS Virgo Fidelis, College Sainte Marie Reine, Sainte Marie Adelide and GSO Butare

Western Conference

North: Sunrise, GS Janja, ES Kirambo, Regina Pacis and ES Musanze

West I: ES Nyange, GS Rambura, ES Murunda, GS Saint Joseph Birambo and PS Nyundo

West II: GS Gihundwe, GS Nyamasheke, GS St Bruno, GS FAK Kibogora and ES Gishoma.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw