REG basketball: Club president on targets and what it means to feature in BAL 2022

After winning the 2020/21 domestic basketball championship, Rwanda Energy Group (REG) are set to play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) – an NBA-organised annual competition that is just in its second season. As Rwanda’s representatives, REG will not feature in the qualifiers. They will rub shoulders against top clubs on the continent during the regular season next year. In this issue of Weekend Sport, we caught up with Francis Murindabigwi – the team president – about the establishment of the club, winning this year’s league title and preparations for the BAL 2022 tournament. Excerpts; REG will represent Rwanda in BAL 2022. How do you feel about it? First and foremost, we were happy with the league victory, because we needed it and we were able to achieve it. It was very exciting. Representing the country in the BAL is a great honour because we will be representing Rwandans, the pride of our club and our institution as a whole. We look forward to the challenge. What is the secret did you deploy to win this year’s league title after three failed attempts since 2018? I do not see it as failed attempts exactly. The victory this year is a result of preparations and team-building during all those years. Among the changes we made was to hire an experienced new coach, Henry Mwinuka, and he played a vital role in delivering the championship. After signing the coach, we added a few new players to the roster and made sure that everything, in all aspects, was in place to challenge for the league title. Tell us about REG. How did it come up with an idea to start the club? The main reason why the team was formed was to distinguish between WASAC (Water and Sanitation Corporation) and Rwanda Energy Group after the two institutions became separate entities. We started with a youth team, before the company management later decided to establish a senior team based on available resources at the time. Concurrently, we also put together a men’s volleyball team. Francis Murindabigwi, the President of REG basketball club, during the interview with Weekend Sport. Photo: Dan Nsengiyumva. It was in December 2016 that made its debut in the 2016/17 basketball national league, and went on to lift the title, a milestone that enabled us to feature in the AfroLeague tournament in Egypt. What does it mean for your team to represent Rwanda and what do you expect BAL tournament to be like for REG basketball club? BAL is a very important competition. The inaugural edition this year gave us a glimpse into the [high] level of the tournament and, how teams and players prepare for it. It will also raise the profile of our players as they face some of the best teams in Africa. As REG, this tournament will leave a lasting impression on us as the name of our team will be enhanced by the unmatched visibility of the competition. It is also a great exposure, especially for our young players. What are your goals in BAL tournament? The target is to win the title, and I am sure we have the potential. We have got good players and we will do our best to add more reinforcements to boost our chances. After booking a spot into the BAL 2022 season, when and how much energy do you plan to invest into preps? After the end of the local season, our players continued training and that is part of our early preparations. The team management is planning a meeting in the coming days to discuss our preparation roadmap until the competition. We are also doing research on different players who could add value to our team before we get in touch with them about the possibilities to play for us in the BAL 2022.

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REG basketball: Club president on targets and what it means to feature in BAL 2022