REG and APR on the brink of the finals.

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September 30, 2024

REG's Odile Tetero dribbles past Sandra Nelly.

REG Women BBC and APR Women BBC are one game away from the Rwanda Basketball League Playoffs Finals, each leading their best-of-five semi-finals series 2-0 against Kepler and GS Marie Reine, respectively.

On Sunday, September 29, at Petit Stade, Rwanda Energy Group (REG) and APR teams dominated Kepler and GS Marie Reine in Game 2 to pave their way into the Finals for the third consecutive time.

The defending champions, APR, secured a 61-37 victory over GS Marie Reine in Sunday’s first game, taking a 2-0 lead in the series. Captain Charlotte Umugwaneza shined with a double-double, contributing 16 points and 16 rebounds to the win.

GS Marie Reine is on the verge of elimination from the playoffs after suffering losses of 95-65 and 61-37 in Game 1 and 2.

However, led by Brigitte Nibishaka, last season’s Defensive Player of the Year and the league’s current leading scorer as well as rebounder, GS Marie Reine can take many positives from this season, having reached the playoffs for the first time.

Meanwhile, Kepler, in their first season in the Rwanda Basketball League, is just one game away from being swept.

Under the guidance of coach Rene Sahabu, they suffered a 107-45 defeat in Game 1 against REG, followed by a 78-51 loss in Game 2. The Kinyinya-based team will need a strong performance in Game 3 on Wednesday to avoid a sweep.

Top-seeded REG Women BBC, now under Spanish coach Julian Martinez, have bolstered their roster with the addition of Kenyan small forward Victoria Reynolds. With recent changes in administration, coaching, and key trades, the team appears more cohesive and determined to dethrone APR.

Under coach Martinez, REG has improved ball movement and is providing opportunities for all players. Odile Tetero, Ange Nelly Irakoze, and Ramla Umunezero have regained confidence and are among the team’s top scorers and rebounders.

The teams will meet again on Wednesday, September 2, for Game 3. If APR and REG win, they will advance to the playoffs finals.

APR and REG faced off in finals for the past two seasons.

SOR athletes shine and break barriers at the Unified Basketball Clinic.

By

Evode Munyeshuri

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September 25, 2024

Special Olympics Rwanda (SOR) exhibits the interaction between people with and without intellectual disabilities on court during a basketball clinic held at Lycée de Kigali.

On the second day of a workshop to expand the Unified Champion Schools program across the continent, SOR held an inclusive basketball clinic to highlight their achievement in progressing from inclusive education to inclusive recreation.

The clinic included fundamental basketball skills like footwork, jab steps, passing, dribbling, shooting, and layups.

With guidance from Moise Mutokambali, the National Technical Director, grassroots coaches from the Rwanda Basketball Federation taught both athletes and workshop participants that basketball serves not only as a way to showcase the talents and passion but also a way to have fun and enjoy life.

While speaking to Moise Mutokambali during the clinic, he emphasized the federation’s commitment to inclusive sports and shared his excitement about working with people with intellectual disabilities.

“The Basketball Federation actively promotes inclusive sports as well. People with intellectual disabilities are just like everyone else and deserve inclusion in basketball.” Said Mutokambali

He added, “Throughout our sessions, they demonstrated impressive skills and displayed enthusiasm for scoring and celebrating. They have a solid grasp of basketball concepts.”

The UCS program supported SOR to identify and connect students with intellectual disabilities in schools. This initiative creates a sports platform for them and fosters inclusive recreation.

With “Excellence in Action” as the motto of the workshop, Rwanda continues to highlight its achievements over the past four years, with basketball clinics being a key activity on the agenda.

Pastor Deus Sangwa, the chairman of the board for SOR, noted the importance of sharing and welcoming ideas with fellow Africans about the benefits of UCS.

“What helped us was having a clear starting point, and that’s what we shared with our colleagues. We started by engaging the government entities, including the Ministry of Education and local government administrators in charges of welfare in districts. This approach helped us to create pathways to schools and the families of people with intellectual disabilities.” Pastor Sangwa said

The chairman of the board also stated that the project could not have been realized without the support of His Highness, the President of the United Arab Emirate and ruler of Abu Dhabi.

“We are deeply grateful to His Highness Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his support. We truly appreciate it,”declared the chairman of the board for SOR.

The honored guest at the workshop was Mrs. Nelly Mukazayire, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports. She stated that the ministry and the Rwandan government fully support this workshop, which aims to foster the exchange of ideas.

SOR — Mrs. Nelly Mukazayire, The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Sports

“We are so much behind this workshop, which is an expression of our country’s commitment to foster sport and to foster inclusiveness through Sports for All. So we are very excited to be with you and to host you in Rwanda, and we believe this workshop is going to be of a great opportunity and great occasion to exchange, to learn from each other, to share experiences, but also to be together.”

SOR — Mr. Charles Nyambe, President and MD of Special Olympics Africa, exposes his basketball skills during the clinic

SOR — Big man Pitchou Manga, the Rwanda Basketball League Defensive Player of the Year and clinic ambassador, poses with Sammy Kamande, Chairperson of the Africa Regional Athlete Leadership Council and a Special Olympics Kenya athlete since 2015.

SOR — UCS program produces champions both on and off the court!

The workshop will continue and conclude tomorrow, September 26.

Special Olympics Rwanda hosts a continental gathering to expand Unified Champion Schools in Africa.

By

Evode Munyeshuri

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September 24, 2024

Kigali, September 24— Special Olympics Rwanda (SOR) hosts 61 delegates from 14 African countries, along with representatives from the USA, for a three-day workshop on Unified Champion Schools at the Marriott Hotel. The event will highlight Rwanda’s continued success in inclusive education.

Special Olympics Rwanda’s implementation of inclusive education through the unified Champion Schools program has become a model for other African countries, with some eager to learn from its success.

In his welcome remarks, Pastor Deus Sangwa, chairman of the board for Special Olympics Rwanda, expressed pride in hosting a significant event. He also emphasized the positive impact of the initiative on the community and pointed out Rwanda’s desire to share its journey and experiences.

“Special Olympics Rwanda is extremely proud to host this keystone event and to share its experiences and activities. Unified Champions Schools has had a great impact in the program communities, from primary schools, secondary schools, to universities, and we are glad to be sharing our practices,” said Pastor Sangwa.

Four years ago, Rwanda became the first sub-Saharan country grant recipient of the three-year Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools project initiative—collaboratively established by Special Olympics International and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi—which also included Argentina, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Romania.

Special Olympics Rwanda has 20,172 registered athletes and unified partners. The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities, breaking down barriers so that they can be full members of their community.

Unified Champion Schools (UCS) has been operating in Rwanda since 2020, reaching 210 schools across the country, to help students with intellectual disabilities connect and interact with their peers without disabilities.

Building upon the success of the past four years, during which Special Olympics Rwanda achieved “Regional Hub of Excellence” status for its high-quality programming, this workshop aims to extend this excellence to new programs across the region.

By sharing their expertise, Special Olympics Rwanda aims to elevate UCS programming and underscore the importance of inclusion in education. Today, 41 program countries across the Africa Region have 3,735 unified schools and 759 Unified Champion Schools.

Speaking about the UCS expansion and Rwanda’s selection, Mr. Charles Nyambe, president and managing director of Special Olympics Africa Region, highlights Rwanda’s capacity to spearhead the adaptation of the UCS project. He envisions this as positioning Rwanda as an important example for other programs globally.

He said, “A critical element for this global expansion was empowering a select group of programs to adapt the UCS programming model for their local context and opportunities and serve as a model for UCS implementation to other programs in their region and around the world. Special Olympics Rwanda was selected as a global leader, out of over 190 eligible countries where accredited Special Olympics programs exist.”

The workshop, themed “Excellence in Action—Expanding Unified Champion Schools across Africa,” will resume tomorrow with a showcase of the UCS model featuring Basketball and Handball at Lycée de Kigali.

The event will conclude on Wednesday, September 26.

APR’s Isaiah Jaleel Miller Named 2024 RBL Playoffs MVP.

By

Evode Munyeshuri

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September 23, 2024

Isaiah Jaleel Miller was named the 2024 Rwanda Basketball League Playoffs Finals Most Valuable Player on Sunday as his APR BBC team polished off Patriots four games to two to earn a record 15th championship.

Kigali, September 22— APR Basketball Club claimed the 2024 Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) title at BK Arene, earning the club a RBL-best 15th title. After the game, top performers from the league and playoffs were honored, with American guard Isaiah Jaleel Miller receiving the playoffs finals MVP award.

Isaiah dropped a game-high 19 points, three rebounds, and four assists in APR’s 73-70 triumph against the Patriots in Game 6, in addition to playing excellent defense during the game.

Undoubtedly a high-profile this season, Isaiah Jaleel Miller—who has had short stints with NBA franchises Portland Trailblazers and Minnesota Timberwolves during the offseason—averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3 assists in the finals.

During the awards ceremony, fellow American and Kepler guard Chad Bowie Jordan was recognized as the league’s top scorer and also named MVP. Fabrice Muhoza, also known as Musinga from Espoir BBC, was honored as the most improved player.

In his third season in the top-flight league, Musinga recorded the most blocks in the league, despite his team missing out on the playoff spot in the final two games.

REG BBC’s Pitchou Manga earned the Defensive Player of Year title, while Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba of the Patriots took home the award for best three-pointer. Patriots head coach Henry Mwinuka was named coach of the year after leading his team to just one defeat in the regular season.

Isaiah Jaleel Miller received a cash prize of USD 2,000, while APR took home 15 million Rwandan francs. The patriots and REG BBC, as the first and second runners-up, received 7.5 million and 3 million Rwandan francs, respectively.

The All-Star Game is on the horizon to conclude the RBL men’s season.

RBL Finals: APR BBC beat Patriots in Game 6 to clinch the Rwanda Basketball League title.

By

Evode Munyeshuri

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September 23, 2024

APR Basketball Club clinches the Rwanda Basketball League title for the second year in a row, overcoming the Patriots 73-70 in a tough Game 6. They concluded the best-of-seven series with a 4-2 record.

September 22— At BK Arena, APR Basketball Club successfully defended their Rwanda Basketball League title by defeating Patriots in a tense Game 6 of the Playoffs Finals.

A strong third period helped APR win a tightly contested game that came down to the wire. The depth of APR’s roster was extremely important, especially as Patriots played without the injured William Kiah Perry.

Perry suffered a back injury in Game 5, ruling him out for Game 6. Despite struggles with bench depth earlier in the series, Henry Mwinuka rallied his team to fight until the final seconds of the game. A missed three-pointer by Branch Stephaun could have tied the game and forced overtime.

Stephaun, the Patriots’ leading scorer, also missed a buzzer-beater in Game 5 that could have sealed the game for them. The scores were 17-19, 19-14, 25-18, and 12-19, with the Patriots’ late comeback falling short, leaving them without a trophy this season.

APR’s recruitments paid off, especially with outstanding performances from guard Isaiah Jaleel Miller and big man Aliou Fadiala Diarra. Miller, eventually dubbed the Playoffs Finals Most Valuable Player (Playoffs MVP), shone offensively during this campaign, while Diarra’s defensive prowess helped APR secure back-to-back league titles for the first time since 2009.

The Malian center led the finals in both rebounds and blocks, averaging 16.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. Miller’s 19 points in Game 6 brought his finals average to 20.1 points per game, the highest in the series.

APR finished the Rwanda Basketball League regular season in second place behind the Patriots, having lost both first and second leg matches against them. However, with changes in coaching staff that saw James Edward Maye take over from Mazen Trakh and strategic trades, the reigning champions entered the postseason with renewed determination, eliminating REG BBC in semifinals and reaching the finals and facing Patriots.

This title marks a treble for the Lions in the 2024 season, as they also won the inaugural Rwanda Cup and the GMT.

This title marks APR’s 15th Rwanda Basketball League championship, the most in Rwanda’s history and the Rwanda’s army team will represent the country in 2025 Basketball Africa League.

APR FC’s path to the CAF CL Group Stage remains arduous.

By

Ground Sports

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September 22, 2024

APR FC’s quest for the CAF Champions League’s group stages has once again been halted by Pyramids with a 4-2 aggregate score.

On September 21, APR FC faced another setback, losing 3-1 to the Pyramids and being knocked out of the competition with a 4-2 aggregate score.

The five-time consecutive champions of the Rwanda Premier League, since 2019, have encountered yet another defeat at the hands of Pyramids, following a humiliating 6-1 loss at the same venue, 30 June Stadium, last season.

In the first leg at Amahoro Stadium, APR managed a 1-1 draw, hoping to defy the odds and eliminate the Egyptian giants to reach their long-awaited Champions League group stage.

However, the 2023/2024 Egyptian League runners-up find their matchup against APR as manna, having reached the CAF Champions League group stages only twice in their history and passing APR on both occasions.

In the second leg, Mouhamed Chibi equalized APR’s early lead by Dauda Youssif, and the second half goals from Fiston Mayele and Karim Hafiz secured a 3-1 victory, sending the Pyramids to the 2024 CAF Champions League Group stage.

APR FC, the most decorated football club in Rwanda, had eliminated Tanzania’s Azam in the first round of these preliminary rounds. After a busy summer transfer window, the army side appeared to be aiming for more than just local trophies.

Their focus must shift as they have to prepare Etincelles FC match at Umuganda for their first league match.

Bbaale’s strike seals Rayon Sports 1-0 victory over Gasogi United.

By

Evode Munyeshuri

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September 22, 2024

Charles Bbaale’s deflected second-half goal against Gasogi United was enough for Rayon Sports to claim their first three points of the 2024 Rwanda Premier League.

September 21 will go down in history as the day Gasogi United became the first Rwanda Premier League team to host a match at the newly refurbished Amahoro Stadium.

Despite hosting at 45,000-seat capacity, Gasogi United suffered their first loss of the season after starting with two wins and a draw in their first three matches. They fell to Rayon Sports, who were still searching for the first win in the campaign.

Ugandan forward Charles Bbaale scored just minutes into the second half, giving Rayon Sports a lead in a match where they hadn’t truly dominated. Bbaale’s goal came in the 50^th minute from a cross by Hadji Iraguha.

Bbaale controlled the ball, struck with his left foot, and Adolphe Hakizimana deflected the shot, preventing goalkeeper Dauda from reacting.

Gasogi’s chances of equalizing were further hindered when skipper Akbar Mudeli was sent off at a critical moment when the team needed full commitment from all players. The Burundian international’s open boot on Aruna Musa Madjaliwa left the referee, Samuel Uwikunda, with no choice but to issue a straight red card. Consequently, Bbaale’s lone goal decided the match.

This goal marked Bbaale’s first of the season and ended Rayon’s string of draws, making it the first league goal scored at the newly modernized Amahoro Stadium.

With this victory, Rayon Sports improved their rocky start to the season, now sitting on 5 points from three matches. Gasogi United has 7 points from four matches.

Rayon Sports will next travel to Rubavu to face the on-form Rutsiro team, while Gasogi will head to Bugesera for their upcoming match.

East African countries improve in the latest FIFA Rankings.

By

Ground Sports

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September 19, 2024

Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and DR Congo have all risen in the September 2024 FIFA Rankings, released in Zürich, Switzerland, on Thursday.

Following strong performances in the African Cup of Nations 2025 Qualifiers opening two matches, most East African countries climbed in the FIFA rankings, published on Thursday, September 19, by the World Football governing body, FIFA.

The Democratic Republic of Congo leads the East African region in the rankings. The Leopards’ back-to-back victories over Ethiopia and Guinea place them at the top of Group H and boosted their standing by two spots to 58^th globally and 10^th in Africa.

Uganda’s cranes follow closely. Propelled by a 2-0 home win against Congo Brazzaville and an away draw with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, Uganda jumped five places to 90^th worldwide and 19^th in Africa to lead the CECAFA region and rank second among East African nations.

Kenya’s Harambe Stars, ranked third in East Africa, moved up six spots to 102^nd globally and 23^rd in Africa after a goalless draw with Zimbabwe and a 2-1 away victory against Namibia in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.

Tanzania’s Taiffa Stars rose three places to rank 110^th globally, 26^th in Africa, and 4^th among East African countries. A 2-1 victory against Guinea in their AFCON Group H qualifier helped improve their ranking.

Rwanda’s Amavubi moved up one spot to 130^th globally and 38^th in Africa, thanks to draws against Libya and Nigeria.

Burundi climbed three spots to 136^th globally and 41^st in Africa after a 3-2 win over Malawi and a narrow 1-0 loss to Senegal at Bingu Wa Mutharika Stadium.

In contrast, South Sudan dropped three places to 172^nd in the world.

Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroon, Mali, and DR Congo make up Africa’s top 10. On the global stage, Argentina retains the top spot, followed by France, Spain, England, and Brazil.

The next rankings will be released on October 24.

RBL Finals: The Patriots tie the series at 2-2 with APR.

By

Evode Munyeshuri

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September 19, 2024

Branch Stephaun’s 16-point performance propels the Patriots to a series-tying 61-49 victory over APR BBC on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Rwanda Basketball League Playoffs Finals

The Patriots entered the game on Wednesday, September 18, determined to halt APR’s momentum and push the Rwanda Basketball League Playoffs Finals to Game 6.

After struggling in the last two games due to Diarra’s dominance over Prince Ibeh, coach Henry Mwinuka benched Ibeh, opting instead for Cadeau de Dieu Furaha and Frank Kamndoh. This move worked, as Kamndoh posted 10 points and 9 rebounds in 26 minutes, while Furaha added 8 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.

Though the Patriots got just 8 points from the bench—all from Furaha—they dominated the boards with a 57-41 advantage and shot 8-27 from behind the arc, better than APR’s 5-30.

Steven Hagumintwari’s defense held Jaleel Miller to 10 points on 4-14 shooting, while Branch Stephaun led the team with a game-high double-double of 16 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.

Captain Gaston chipped in 14 points.

APR’s Aliou Diarra posted another double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. the 3rd double-double of this finals series in 4 games

This postseason series has been thrilling, more so than last year, with the best-of-seven contest looking likely to go the distance. Game 5 is set for Friday, September 20, with Game 6 scheduled two days later, both at BK Arena.

RBL Finals: Isaiah Jaleel Miller drops 32 points as APR storms to a 2-1 lead.

By

Evode Munyeshuri

-

September 16, 2024

Isaiah Jaleel Miller scores a game-high 32 points to help APR Basketball Club beat Patriots 67-53 in Game 3 of the Rwanda Basketball League Playoff finals. APR takes a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 on Wednesday.

The race for the 2024 Rwanda Basketball League title is escalating. Over the weekend, APR, the defending champions, bounced back from a one-game deficit to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against the Patriots.

Following a dramatic overtime win in Game 2 on Friday night that evened the series at 1-1, Isaiah Jaleel Miller’s stellar 32-point game on Sunday led APR to their second consecutive win, placing the team in a good position to think about a back-to-back championship.

Isaiah Jaleel Miller, the American guard and clearly the most potent offensive player of this campaign, posed another significant threat to the Patriots. He made 12-27 shots in the game and recorded a game-high 5 assists in 32 minutes spent on the floor. Additionally, he stole 4 balls, the most in the game.

APR’s victory in Game 3 wasn’t solely due to Isaiah Jaleel Miller; the team’s depth also played a very important role. James Edwards’ bench added 19 points, whereas the Patriots’ bench managed only 4 points.

APR’s Aliou Fadiala Diarra had another strong performance on both ends of the floor. He scored 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds (including 6 offensive rebounds), and recorded a game-high 4 blocks.

The Patriots’ weak bench has begun to wear out their key starters. With Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday, the Patriots need to regroup and halt APR’s momentum, or the army team will gain a dominant position and leave the Patriots with a nearly impossible task in the remaining games.

BK Arena will host Game 4 on Wednesday, September 18.

REG and APR on the brink of the finals.

REG Women BBC and APR Women BBC are one game away from the Rwanda Basketball League Playoffs Finals, each leading their best-of-five semi-finals series 2-0 against Kepler and GS Marie Reine, respectively.

SOR athletes shine and break barriers at the Unified Basketball Clinic.

Special Olympics Rwanda (SOR) exhibits the interaction between people with and without intellectual disabilities on court during a basketball clinic held at Lycée de Kigali.

Special Olympics Rwanda hosts a continental gathering to expand Unified Champion Schools in Africa.

Kigali, September 24— Special Olympics Rwanda (SOR) hosts 61 delegates from 14 African countries, along with representatives from the USA, for a three-day workshop on Unified Champion Schools at the Marriott Hotel. The event will highlight Rwanda’s continued success in inclusive education.

APR’s Isaiah Jaleel Miller Named 2024 RBL Playoffs MVP.

RBL Finals: APR BBC beat Patriots in Game 6 to clinch the Rwanda Basketball League title.

APR FC’s path to the CAF CL Group Stage remains arduous.

APR FC’s quest for the CAF Champions League’s group stages has once again been halted by Pyramids with a 4-2 aggregate score.

Bbaale’s strike seals Rayon Sports 1-0 victory over Gasogi United.

Charles Bbaale’s deflected second-half goal against Gasogi United was enough for Rayon Sports to claim their first three points of the 2024 Rwanda Premier League.

East African countries improve in the latest FIFA Rankings.

Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and DR Congo have all risen in the September 2024 FIFA Rankings, released in Zürich, Switzerland, on Thursday.

RBL Finals: The Patriots tie the series at 2-2 with APR.

Branch Stephaun’s 16-point performance propels the Patriots to a series-tying 61-49 victory over APR BBC on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Rwanda Basketball League Playoffs Finals

RBL Finals: Isaiah Jaleel Miller drops 32 points as APR storms to a 2-1 lead.

Isaiah Jaleel Miller scores a game-high 32 points to help APR Basketball Club beat Patriots 67-53 in Game 3 of the Rwanda Basketball League Playoff finals. APR takes a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 on Wednesday.

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