The national youth basketball teams, U18 boys and U18 Girls, have qualified for this year’s FIBA Africa U-18 Basketball Championships after dominating the regional qualifiers held at Uwanja wa Taifa Indoor Stadium, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The boys’ team won the FIBA Africa Zone V Championship title on Friday, a day after their female counterparts claimed the crown in the women’s category.

Yves Murenzi’s youthful side overpowered Uganda 84-50 in the final while the girls emerged regional champions after winning all their four games at the week-long tournament that also had Tanzania and Uganda in the contest.

This year’s FIBA U18 Men’s African Championships are set to be held in Bamako, Mali from August 17 to 26. Mozambique will host the ladies championship finals from July 29 to August 5.

In the boys’ category, Rwanda recorded a five-game unbeaten run to retain the title they had won in 2016. Murenzi’s boys opened their title hunt with a convincing 86-44 win over Sudan before thumping Tanzania 85-45 and Uganda 76-61 to progress to the semifinals as leaders.

In the semi-finals, Rwanda humiliated Tanzania 64-24 to set Friday’s final tie with Uganda which had defeated Sudan in semis.

Emile Galois Kazeneza was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player – MVP.

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