The senior national basketball teams will start training on Thursday at Amahoro indoor stadium ahead of this year’s Fiba Zone V Championships which starts on January 21 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The senior national basketball teams will start training on Thursday at Amahoro indoor stadium ahead of this year’s Fiba Zone V Championships which starts on January 21 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.According to the men’s team assistant coach, who is also the head coach league side Espoir, Jean Bahufite, preparations will start with home based players, who will be joined by their professional colleagues next week. The team which is scheduled to depart for Dar on Jan 19 will be under the guidance of new coach Moise Mutokambali, who replaced the sacked Serbian Nenad Amanovic."Preparations will start on Thursday with local players as we wait for the professional players, who are expected to join camp next week,” Bahufite told Times Sport on Tuesday.Among the professional players will be Canada-based Hamza Ruhezamihigo, Kenneth Gasana and Bradley Cameron Curtis, however, there is no place on the team for Rob Thompson and Mathew Miller.The provisional 26-man squad will include six professional players, namely; Dan Rugamba (Seattle Community College, USA), Ruhezamihigo (Concordia, Canada), Kenneth Herbert Gasana (Ass Charab Al Hoaciema, Morocco), Isom Cedric (Primiero do Agosto, Angola), Brannon Darrius (Corr. Victoria, Mexico) and Bradley (Mississipi Gulf Coast College, USA).The women’s team will be under Charles Mbazumutima, who will be assisted by Charles Mushumba. The provisional 24-players squad has four professional players namely; Laetitia Mahoro, Williams Angelica Monique (USA), Henderson Tiena Monay, (Angola) and Sabine Mugeni, (France).The rest of the players in both teams (men & women) were selected from local clubs.The championships will attract 12 countries including Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, South Sudan and hosts Tanzania.Provisional Squads:Men: Guillaume Ruzima, Placide Kamuntu, Aboubakar Barame (CSK), APR includes Lionel Hakizimana, N. Sunny Munyandamutsa, Mohamed Rafiki, Teotime Murihira, Nestor Manzi, Ali Kubwimana, Sankara Uwiman, Olivier Shyaka and Fiston Muhire (KCB), in Espoir are Placide Uwizeyimana, Pascal Karekezi, Arstide Mugabe, Jean Louis Habineza, Olivier Muhizi, Christophe Wazayire, Kami Kabange, Elie Kaje, Dan Rugamba (Seattle Community College), Hamza Ruhezamihigo (Concordia), Kenneth Herbert Gasana (Ass Charab Al Hoaciema), Cedric Isom (Primiero do Agosto), Darrius Brannon (Corr. Victoria) and Bradley Cameron Curtis (Mississipi Gulf Coast College).Women: Jovithe Kabarere (APR), Jeanne Yamfashije (UNR), Rosine Micomyiza (St Aloys Rwamagana), Scolastique Mukandayisenga (Ubumwe), Claire Kanyamibwa (CSK), Cecile Nzaramba (St Joseph Kabgayi), Vanessa Uwizera (APR), Aisha Kamana (APR), Genevieve Imanishimwe (St Joseph Kabgayi), Gisele Umutoni (St Joseph Kabgayi), Joselyne Munyaneza (APR), Nicole Urwibutso (Karubanda), Ange Kamanyana (Ubumwe), Yvone Ikirezi (Ubumwe), Charlotte Umugwaneza (APR), Delice Niyonsaba (St Joseph Kabgayi), Immaculee Nyirahumure (UNR), Denyse Uwase (APR), Alice Muhongerwa (Ubumwe), Clementine Ushizimpundu (Ubumwe), Laetitia Mahoro, Williams Angelica Monique (USA), Henderson Tiena Monay, (Angola) and Mugeni Sabine (France).