The Afrobasket championship contested by senior national teams of African nations will be unfolding in Kigali, Rwanda from August 24 to September 5. All 36 games will be played at the Kigali Arena during the two weeks during which the tournament will happen. To hold a safe and successful showpiece, several protocols have been employed to prevent risks of contracting or spreading the Covid-19 virus. Here are some of the preventive measures in place: ‘Bubble’ environment All the 16 teams are currently staying in a protective bubble at respective hotels in Kigali. Group A teams are camped at Park Inn Hotel, Group B and C are staying at La Palisse Hotel Nyamata, and Group D are staying at Onomo Hotel. Before entering the bubble, all teams first get Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests of Covid-19. PCR tests carried out every after 4 days Everyone inside the bubble takes a PCR test every four days. This is expected to be the protocol until the end of the competition. Fans to present negative tests before entry into the arena Fans who will be permitted inside the Kigali Arena will need to present a Covid-19 negative test. The Rwanda Basketball Federation (Ferwaba) announced that Covid-19 tests will be part of ticket prices, “The ticket price is inclusive of the rapid Covid-19 test that is a requirement with the result valid for 48 hours. Testing will be conducted at the Amahoro national stadium from 8am every day until 7pm,” read a statement from Ferwaba. “For Rwandans, it is mandatory to at least have one jab of the vaccine against Covid-19 for you to access the Kigali Arena to watch the FIBA Afrobasket 2021 games,” it added. Tickets will go for Rwf15,000, Rwf10,000 and Rwf7,000.
