Gisembe memorial tourney kicks off today

The annual Gisembe memorial basketball tournament commences this morning with Espoir facing 30 Plus this morning at KIST Ground before the former takes on APR later in the afternoon at Cercle Sportif de Kigali. The annual tournament is organized by Espoir in conjunction with Rwanda Basketball Federation and the top four teams after this weekend’s event will earn a ticket in next weekend’s edition that will attract clubs from Burundi, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda which will be played at Amahoro indoor stadium. Former Espoir player and later coach, Emmanuel Ntarugera aka Gisembe was killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Last year, the local tournament was won by Cercle Sports de Kigali (CSK) after they overcame tournament organizers Espoir in the final while Rwanda Alliance for Peace and Progress (RAPP) took the women’s title after defeating Ubumwe in the women’s final. Other members of the local basketball fraternity, who were killed during the Genocide, will also be honored alongside Gisembe. In last year’s international tournament, Espoir beat Burundian side Muzinga 85-48 to take the men’s title while Berco Stars (Burundi) defeated Magic Stormers (Uganda) 67-55 for the women’s crown.