Rwanda has been drawn into Group D of the FIBA Women’s World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments, along with Great Britain, Argentina, and Lebanon.
MIES-SWITZERLAND, on April 25, at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, the draw for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments was conducted by Hon. Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju, the Minister of Sports for Rwanda.
Prior to the draw, Hon. Munyangaju pointed out that by hosting this event, Rwanda extends a welcoming embrace to the world, showcasing their hospitality and fervor for basketball. Moreover, it underscores Africa’s ascending stature in the global basketball realm.
“For Rwanda, this presents an opportunity to showcase our hospitality, culture, and passion for the game to the world. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate that Africa is not just a participant but an emerging leader in the world of international basketball.” Said The Minister of Sports in Rwanda
She Added; “Beyond achievement and excitement, hosting this event holds profound significance for the development of women’s basketball across Africa.”
At the event moderated by Anna Barthold, FIBA’s Women’s Competitions Manager, the draw unfolded in the presence of esteemed figures including FIBA President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, and members of the FIBA Central Board. And it marks a significant step in implementing FIBA’s resolutions to expand the number of countries participating in the Women’s World Cup and its qualifying tournaments.
Following a completion of the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup with 12 participating countries, the FIBA Central Board sanctioned an expansion of the women’s competition system to enable a broader array of international tournaments.
In response to this development, the global basketball governing body introduced the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments to provide teams that did not qualify for the Olympics with the opportunity to participate in intercontinental competitions.
Senegal, the runners-up of the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket in Kigali, did not qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. as a results, they are among the four African countries picked to participate in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournaments.
Apart from Nigeria, which secured a berth in the 2024 Olympics, Senegal, knocked out during the Olympic qualifiers in Antwerp, Mali, Rwanda, and Mozambique, who finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in the 2023 AfroBasket in Kigali, are now set to compete in these thrilling tournaments, expected to entice teams from the second echelon of women’s basketball globally.
Following an unprecedented fourth-place finish on the continental stage and seizing the opportunity to compete in the 2026 World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments, Rwanda, renowned as a destination for MICE, submitted a bid and successfully secured the rights to host the global event.
Alongside Mexico, Rwanda will host the 2026 World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament separately. The Group C and D matches will take place at Kigali’s BK Arena from August 19 to 25, 2024.
Group D consists of the host Rwanda, alongside Great Britain, Argentina, and Lebanon. Group C comprises Brazil, Hungary, Senegal, and the Philippines.
Mexico City, which will host groups A and B, will feature thrilling matches from Korea, Czechia, Mali, and Venezuela in Group A, and Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, and Mozambique in Group B.
The winners of the FIBA Women’s World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments, hosted by both Mexico and Kigali, will earn berths in the qualifying tournaments. They will then await the other 22 teams from the FIBA Women’s Continental Cups 2025 to complete the list of 24 teams.
Among the 24 teams participating in the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament, Africa will be represented by 4 teams, including Côte d’Ivoire, the host country for the 2025 AfroBasket.
Scheduled for March 2026, the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament’s host country is yet to be determined. And from these 24 teams, 16 will secure berths for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will feature 16 teams once again after 8 years and will mark the 20th edition of the tournament. It will be held in Berlin, Germany, from September 4 to 13, 2026.
