Seasoned Senegalese basketball coach Cheikh Sarr arrived in Kigali on Sunday, April 4, and is expected put pen to paper this week to serve as the National team coach, for both the men and women’s teams.

The Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) has been in contact with the 53-year-old for the last 2 months, negotiating to bring him in to lead the national team as it heads into the Afrobasket final tournament set to take place from August 24 to September 5 in Kigali.

Times Sport understands that he was even invited by FERWABA to watch the national team games during the Afro Basketball qualifiers second window that took place in Monastir, Tunisia in February.

He is also expected to coach the national women's basketball team during the Afrobasket qualifiers for women which may tentatively take place in June or July in a yet-to-be-decided venue.

The national women's basketball team has started preparations, under assistant coach Jean Claude Muhirwa Rukundo at Amahoro Stadium.

Sarr will replace Serbian Vladimir Bosnjak who stepped down from coaching the national team in December 2020.

The Senegalese has a good 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.

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.