PATRIOTS Basketball Club have turned their attention to the upcoming pre-season tournament after defeating Espoir 86-84 in a closely contested  final of the inaugural Legacy Basketball Tournament at Petit-Stade Remera on Sunday.

According to Rwanda Basketball Federation (Ferwaba), the pre-season tournament is due November 9-18 at Petit-Stade Remera.

Powerhouse Patriots overcame Espoir to win the first edition of the Legacy Basketball Tournament.

The event was organised by United Generation Basketball Club (UGB) in honour of its founding members and former educationists who have since passed on, Aimable Shampiyona and Jean de Dieu Nizeyimana.

The two basketball legends significantly contributed to the growth of the sport at Lycée de Kigali (LDK), where Shampiyona was headmaster and Nizeyimana a teacher, and in the country at large, in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

Shampiyona passed on in 2004 while Nizeyimana died in 2007.

Last season, REG won the pre-season tournament after defeating IPRC-Kigali 76-71 in the final.

Patriots assistant coach Claude Mukurarinda said after the Legacy Tournament on Sunday that they still have a big job to do ahead of next season due to kick off November 23. 

"I’m so happy we have started well. We have won the first trophy of the season which is good for us but we want to correct a few things and increase our fitness ahead of the pre-season,” said Mukurarinda.

Durin last year’s edition Patriots lost in the semifinals, against REG, who went on to win the tournament.

"I’m happy with the performance of our team, and I want to congratulate my players for the effort each one put in to win this tournament,” Mukurarinda added. 

Patriots are current league champions despite having lost last season’s final game to REG 64-57.

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