Senegalese national Cheikh Sarr is expected to take over as the head coach of the Rwanda men's basketball team in April.
Officials in the Basketball federation are still tight-lipped on the process of their pursuit but are confident a deal will be reached soon. The Senegalese coach was invited by Rwanda to watch the team during the Afro Basketball qualifiers in Tunisia recently.
The 53-year-old tactician has a formidable CV which includes among others having coached the Senegal national team, leading them to the second round of the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup for the first time in 2014.
Here are 4 things you need to know about Sarr:
Vital experience
Sarr is an experienced coach having served as head coach of both the men and women basketball teams of Senegal.
During his tenure as head coach for Senegal Women’s national team, he led them to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2018.
As head coach for the men’s team, Sarr led them to the second round of the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup in 2014.
Ph.D. in psychology of sports
Sarr holds a Ph.D. in sports psychology and has served as a teacher and researcher in sports and physical activities at Gaston Berger University (UGB) Senegal.
He also holds a master’s degree in sports management, from Alfred Lerner College, Delaware, USA.
FIBA instructor
Sarr is one of the few FIBA instructors on the continent. A FIBA instructor is a coach that trains fellow coaches in regard to improving their skills.
As an instructor, he has been assisting coaches in various parts of Africa, including Cameroon, Madagascar and Rwanda.
He also runs online training courses and conferences to assist coaches stay up to date on things like leadership, pressing defense, and offensive strategies for young players.
Tactical and passionate about the game
Sarr likes to instruct players on playing within the guidelines and optimizing performance, he also focuses more on strategies, techniques and tactics that improve gameplay.
He is also good at analyzing players with potential, spotting weaknesses so that they can be dealt with.
When he signs, as expected, Sarr will be at the helm of the Rwanda national team during the Afro-Basketball 2021 final tournament which is scheduled to take place in Rwanda from August 24 to September 05, 2021 at the Kigali Arena.