Rwanda’s Men’s National Basketball Team receives a hero’s welcome at Kigali International Airport after reaching the AfroCan Semifinals and winning the bronze medal in a basketball championship concluded in Luanda, Angola.
July 18, 2023, Officials from the Ministry of Sports, the Rwanda Basketball Federation, and athletes’ families greeted and garlanded the Rwandan team upon their arrival at Kigali International Airport. Rwanda made headlines on Sunday after beating DRC 82-73 to claim the bronze medal in the second edition of the FIBA Africa Cup of Nations, AfroCan.
Rwanda, The Zone 5 flag bearers landed safely in Kigali, Tuesday early morning, after an admirable performance in the second edition of FIBA AfroCan 2023, placing third behind Côte d’Ivoire, first runner up, and Morocco, the champions.
Rwanda’s run to the semi-finals and bronze medal was the country’s greatest ever in Africa Basketball. Speaking with the tournament’s best three-point shooter and team captain, Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba praised the teamwork as the key factor in achieving that milestone
“I would say that the trip went well; we had a good championship and claimed a third place for our first appearance in the competition.”
“In the competition, we have been learning from our mistakes, growing in the competition even though he didn’t make it to the final” said the captain Ndizeye
Ndizeye, also known as Gaston, went on to thank his teammates for working together to help him fulfil his personal goals, such as finishing the tournament best three-pointer and earning a position in the tournament’s best five.
“I’d want to thank my colleagues for their cooperation during this competition; without them, I would not have been able to do what I did. They assisted me and gave me confidence.”
Yves Murenzi, the championship’s interim coach, emphasized how tough the competition was and praised the importance of Rwanda’s captains and icons, Kenneth Gasana and Aristide Mugabe in instilling team chemistry and a positive attitude in the locker room.
During the completed 2023 AfroCan, Aristide Mugabe, the retired and long-serving captain, in addition to Kenneth Gasana, the current team captain but sidelined due to an Achilles tendon, were members of the coaching staff.
Rwanda, alongside Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are all assured seats in the 2027 AfroCan competition since they finish in the top four in 2023 AfroCan
PHOTOS: FERWABA
