Sunday fixtures

Rwanda-Botswana (09h30)

Namibia-Nigeria (13h50)

The national women’s Cricket team head coach Leonard Nhamburo has said that the team are ready to end their title wait ahead of the seventh edition of the Kwibuka T20 tourney which kicks off on Sunday, June 6, at Gahanga Cricket Stadium.

Leonard Nhamburo coach of the Nation women’s Cricket team during the interview with media on June 4, 2021. Dan Nsengiyumva

Held annually since 2014, the tournament is the flagship event of the women’s cricket calendar in Rwanda through which the cricket community contribute to the country’s healing process following the atrocities committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania have been invited for this year's edition.

The last Kwibuka T20 tournament edition was won by Kenya in 2019 after beating Namibia by 20 runs. The tournament didn't take place last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rwanda has never won the Kwibuka T20 tourney since 2014 but, with his experience in big cricket tournaments and given the way he prepared his team, Nhamburo believes time is now to finally win the Kwibuka T20 tournament.

Sarah Uwera captain of the national women’s cricket team during the interview on June 4, 2021. Dan Nsengiyumva

"Basically, I think everything is good at the starting point, I also said to myself ‘let me be the first one to do it. So, I have to give my all, whatever information I have got. I initiated to the players how it goes, if they do whatever we have been training very well, then I think I am also positive that this can be the turning point for them,” said the Zimbabwean coach.

The Zimabwean shares the same anticipation with national women’s cricket team captain Sarah Uwera who said she and her team are ready to fight to make sure the title of this year’s edition stays home.

"The seventh edition of this tournament has something special it means for Rwanda and the national women’s cricket team in particular, because many of us have grown our career through it. We have never won this tournament but I am confident this is our time.  We’ve got ample time to prepare for it and we are ready for it,” Uwera said.  

Rwanda play Botswana this Sunday, June 6, in the opening game of the tournament that will take place at Gahanga Cricket Stadium, the venue that will host all games of this year’s tournament.

Nhamburo said his selection for the national team that will participate in the tournament started since he was appointed to become the team’s new head coach in January this year despite coming by the time the country was put into lockdown.

"When the lockdown was relaxed and conditions were a bit flexible, we started to work in groups for a couple of days. I started with a team of 30 players, then we reduced them to 20 who were later reduced to 14 players that make our final squad for the Kwibuka T20 tourney. I think from that process, I have a quality squad that is ready for this tournament,” he said.

"It also gave me time to understand each and every player that I am going to make new things, how to work with them and how they can best perform in this tournament,” he added.

All is set

All teams arrived on Friday for the tournament. Upon arrival in Kigali, they were all tested and put in a bubble at a hotel in Nyamata.

As the tournament gets underway on Sunday, June 6, Rwanda Cricket Association’s president Stephen Musaale said that everything is and the cricket governing body is doing everything it can to ensure a successful tournament.

"We have everything set up for a successful and safe Kwibuka T20 tournament. We are not taking any chances during these times. The safety of our players and officials is priority."