Basketball: Mushumba targets first league title with IPRC-South

After leading them to their first playoffs title last season, IPRC-South head coach Charles Mushumba has vowed to lead the Huye-based outfit to their first league title ahead of the new season that kicks off this Sunday. The reigning playoffs champions last season made an impressive start to their campaign stunning league giants Espoir to win the 2015/16 basketball pre-season tournament under the tutelage of former coach Didier Bineza. However, they eventually had an unceremonious end of the season after slimly losing the league title at home ground to Patriots 52-45 in a do or die game. As a result, the club sacked former coach Bineza and appointed Mushumba who was formerly the coach for College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), former National University of Rwanda. He led them to last season’s playoffs title making a revenge on Patriots winning the best-of-five finals series 3-1. “We are ready for the new season, we are preparing for it and as a team, the focus is to do better compared to last season, which means the league title is our first priority,” said Mushumba in an interview with Times Sport on Wednesday On the other hand, IPRC-South will have to dig deep to achieve their target after losing two of their key players- shooting guards Sunny Niyomugabo and Didier Ishimwe albeit Mushumba added they are in the process of strengthening the team with new signings set to be confirmed next week. “We have several players on trials and we shall confirm them after signing contracts but the squad is full and can win the title,” he added The 2016/17 basketball league will kick off this Sunday at Amahoro indoor stadium with a total of five fixtures set to be played. IPRC-Kigali will take on Rusizi Basketball Club at 9am before IPRC-South lock horns with re-admitted 30 Plus at 11 am while APR will faceoff United Generation Basketball (UGB) at 1pm. Later at 3pm, defending champions Patriots will kick off title defense, taking on newly created side, Bank of Kigali (BK) Basketball Club while four-time record-league winners Espoir will play against Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK) in the final game the day at 5pm. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Basketball: Mushumba targets first league title with IPRC-South