The national under-18 boys’ basketball team was due to leave the country for Bamako, Mali last night ahead of the 2018 FIBA Under-18 African Championships slated to run from August 24 to September 2.

The team was set to take off at 12:30am aboard an Ethiopian Airways flight.

The youthful side qualified for the African championship in June after edging Uganda 84-50 in the final to win this year’s FIBA Africa Zone V championship in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The ten-day tournament will be contested by a total 10 teams representing different zones.

Besides Mali who are participating as the host country, Tunisia and Algeria will be representing Africa Zone I, Guinea and Senegal will represent Zone II, DR Congo is set to represent Zone IV, Rwanda Zone V, Angola Zone VI, while Madagascar will represent Zone VII.

While speaking to Times Sport yesterday, head coach Yves Murenzi said he was yet to know their group opponents but insisted that, "the boys have been trained and prepared well for the tournament, and are able to face against anyone” adding that "they just need to be confident in themselves, focus on one match at a time, and stick to their game plan.”

Rwanda return to the continental scene in the U18 category after hosting the 2016 edition where they finished in fifth position, behind champions Angola, finalists Egypt, Mali and Tunisia.

The finalists of the tournament in Bamako will automatically earn the right to represent the continent at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

Full squad:

Landry Irumva, Emile Galois Kazeneza, Bruce Mudenge Rutishisha, Elias Ernest Ngoga, Thierry Nkundwa, Ryan Ntwari, Yuhi Jonathan Rutimirwa, Jean De Dieu Umuhoza, Justin Uwitonze, Theogene Niyibizi, Brown Abuyassin Murengezi, and Olivier Turatsinze.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw