The Rwandan U-23 team had been in training for two weeks preparing this tournament | Photo Credit: FERWAFA
Rwanda U-23 will not participate in the 2021 CECAFA due to the recrudescence of the Covid-19 pandemic in the region and Rwanda in particular.
The Rwanda Football Federation, FERWAFA has announced that the Amavubi U-23 will not be participating in the 2021 CECAFA tournament due to be held in Bahir-Dar, Ethiopia from July 17 to July 31, 2021, due to the intensity of Covid-19 in the region and Rwanda which raises assumptions of the presence of the highly infectious Covid-19 Delta Variant.
The Rwandan team had been in training for two weeks under the guidance of coach Sosthene Habimana, preparing this tourney.
This means that the Scandinavian team will not take part in the CAF Women Champions League Zonal Qualifiers scheduled to take place in Kenya from next week.
The statement released by Rwanda Football governing body
The Rwanda women’s National Under-20 lost 3-0 sets to the Netherlands in their first match of 2021 World Championship’s Group A held in Belgium and Netherlands.
The Under-20 2021 World Championship served off on Friday, July 9, 2021, with the women’s team facing the hosts, Netherlands, and was humiliated by the Netherlands, 3-0 (25-6, 25-5, 25-6), in the game that lasted exactly 57 minutes.
Rwanda pitted in Group A accompanied by the Netherlands, Brazil, and Argentina is scheduled to play the second game against Brazil on Saturday, July 10, 2021, before concluding the preliminary round games versus Argentina on July 11, 2021.
Rwanda didn’t record a single block in this matchRwandan Team in 2021 FIVB World U20 Women’s Championship
Cape Verde during 2017 AfroBasket in Dakar | Photo Credit: FIBA
Cape Verde accompanies the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Rwanda to complete Group A of the 2021FIBA AfroBasket to be held in Kigali between August 24 and September 5, 2021.
Thursday, July 8, 2021, at Salle Omnisports El Bouazzaoui, Salé, Uganda beat Morocco, 77-65, to qualifyin second place behind Egypt and will be placed in Group D alongside Senegal, Cameroon, and South Sudan in 2021 AfroBasket scheduled in Kigali, Rwanda.
The victory earned Uganda’s Silverbacks the third consecutive participation, having attended the 2017 and 2019 editions then. For the first time, Five countries from Zone Five will take part in the African Championship of Nations “AfroBasket”
Morocco’s loss resulted in an irreparable catastrophe as they will finish their qualification games with seven points in fourth place. Thus, Cape Verde immediately sealed a 2021 AfroBasket ticket as the team that will advance to the third place of Group E and goes straight into Group A with the hosts Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola.
2021 AfroBasket Groups:
Group A: Rwanda, D.R. Congo, Angola, and Cape Verde.
Group B: Tunisia, Centrafrique, Egypt, and Guinea.
Group C: Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Mali.
Group D: Sénégal, Cameroun, South Sudan, and Uganda
Juvenal Mvukiyehe (Left), SC Kiyovu President handed a one year contract Mr. Francis Christian Haringingo
The Burundian tactician, Francis Christian Haringingo, who was recently sacked by Police FC, will continue his coaching journey at Sports Club Kiyovu.
Kiyovu on Thursday announced the appointment of former Mukura and Police FC head coach to guide the team for the next year.
The Club announced his appointment in a statement on their social media on Thursday, July 8, 2021.
“We are delighted to announce that Haringingo Francis is now the new Head Coach of Kiyovu Sports.”
Kiyovu new head coach, Francis Christian Haringingo | Photo credit : SC Kiyovu
Haringingo will be taking over from his compatriot coach Etienne Ndayiragije, after having failed to renew his contract with the club. He will be leading the Mumena based club, which came ninth on the Primus National League table last season.
The federation has not yet communicated the dates for next season however the teams are boosting their squads ahead of the league expected to kick off later in September.
After a three-year absence, Patriots’ Aristide Mugabe is back in the Rwanda men’s National Basketball team for 2021 AfroBasket preparations.
In 17 players present in the country called to start the strength and conditioning program, Aristide Mugabe has received his first sensational recall to the Rwanda preselection roster for 2021 AfroBasket since he last represented the country of thousand hills three years ago.
Among the players called up by coach Dr. Cheikh Sarr, dominated by APR BBC players, 4 players are from Patriots BBC while 6 are from APR BBC.
This roster includes plenty of fresh faces. APR BBC’s duo of the guard and forward, Armel Sangwa and Honoré Niyongira who have been handed their first call-up. Sangwa, the former Espoir BBC player has been a good three point shooter in the last 3 seasons of BKBNL.
Niyongira joined APR this season from Canada. He previously played for Acadia University.
Among the new faces, Cedric Gitori Rutazigwa has received a surprise call up too. The Shoot For The Stars’ leading scorer was awarded for good performance in 2021 BKBNL first leg games.
Belgium-based William Robeyns, currently in the country has been called for the first time too.
Robeyns, 25, played for Phoenix Brussels and Liège Basket will now join the squad to boost the offensive options. Having played Belgium at U-16 and U-18 levels, He may represent Rwanda, should he make the final roster to AfroBasket.
The list also includes Steven Hagumintwari, the Patriots’ forward who had not played a single game in the 2021 BK National League due to an injury picked up in BAL.
Veteran Kami Kabange is not listed and neither is the new REG BBC forward, Pascal Niyonkuru.
17 man Pre-selection Squad:
Ntore Habimana (Tigers BBC), Aristide Mugabe (Patriots), Sedar Sagamba (Patriots), J.Jacques Wilison Nshobozwabyosenumukiza (REG BBC), Steven Hagumintwari (Patriots), Armel Sangwa (APR BBC), Cedric Gitore Rutazigwa (Shoot For The Stars), Axel Mpoyo (APR BBC), Emile Galois Kazeneza (APR BBC), Honoré Niyongira (APR BBC), Arnaud Nkusi (APR BBC), Elie Kaje (REG BBC), Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba (Patriots), Olivier Shyaka (REG BBC), Marius Tresor Ntwali (APR BBC), Elias Ngoga ( UGB) and William Robeynis (Liège Basketball)
Gisagara and RRA clinched the 2021 Genocide Memorial Tournament trophies in men’s and women’s categories respectively at the Kigali Arena that hosted Volleyball games for the very first time.
June 25-27th 2021, the Rwanda Volleyball Federation and its partners organized the annual tournament, GMT to commemorate members of the wider sports community, especially in Volleyball, who lost their lives in the genocide against the Tutsi. Gisagara Volleyball Club in the men’s category and Rwanda Revenue Authority in the women’s category lifted the trophies.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, at Kigali Arena, Gisagara and REG VC came out victorious in the semi-finals and locked horns in the finals. Gisagara eliminated UTB while REG beat the 2020 League champions, APR VC to advanced to the much anticipated final in the magnificent Kigali Arena.
Gisagara District-sponsored club, Gisagara VC won the battle after beating REG VC 3-1 (22-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-22).
The 2021 GMT Winners Women’s Rwanda Revenue Authority Volleyball Club | Photo Credit: FRVB
In the women’s category, Rwanda Revenue Authority, RRA VC won the tournament by defeating APR in the final. Kenya’s Nairobi Water emerged third.
Apart from trophies, each team, Gisagara, and RRA, winners in both categories pocketed Rwf 2 million each as prize money, the first runners up, REG and APR each won Rwf 1 million while the 2nd runners up, UTB’s men’s team and Nairobi Water were awarded five hundred thousand Rwandan Francs each.
This amount of prize money is unprecedented and is a clear indicator of the positive intentions of the new committee plus will be a proper motivation for more clubs to engage in Rwanda volleyball.
Next weekend, a Liberation Day Tournament is on the agenda.
Dieudonné Ndizeye trying to score against Shoot For The Stars’ Olivier Dushime
Rwandan International small forward, Ndizeye Ndayisaba Dieudonné leads all scorers with 18 points in the Patriots’ victory over Shoot For The Stars on Saturday afternoon at Amahoro court.
After two quarters of keeping things close, the Patriots ended up blowing out Shoot For The Stars 88-60 in their first game of BKBNL Regular season Second leg
The defending champions, led by as much as 20 points in the third quarter, as they were driving into the paint at will. The Patriots‘ defense was certainly better at the moment indeed which gave them the confidence to control the last quarter. Match ended 88-60 (9-11, 16-14, 13-33, 22-30)
Patriots have a new face in the Roster, Number 8, Bienvenue Niyonsaba
Ndizeye led the game finishing with 18 points, two assists, six rebounds, and two steals to help his team secure the seventh straight win of the season.
While the final score reflected a one-sided contest, the credit should given to the Shoot For The Stars for keeping things close for as long as possible even if they had no services of youngster Clovis Irera, who study in Muhanga district and movements between districts across the country are prohibited.
Shoot For The Stars
The BKBNL actions continue Sunday at Amahoro Outdoor Courts, with Patriots hosting Tigers while Shoot For The Stars rub shoulders with UGB.
The annual Genocide Memorial Tournament to commemorate players, officials, fans of volleyball, and members of the wider sports fraternity who lost their lives in the genocide against the Tutsi starts Friday at Amahoro indoor court.
The Genocide Memorial Tournament, GMT is the first indoor volleyball tournament to mark a new area of the Volleyball federation committee in a list of many tournaments announced on their agenda.
In this year’s tournament, the Kenya Ports Authority is the only team to come from abroad participating in the men’s category. As Rwanda women’s national under-20 team prepares for the World Championships, it will also feature in this tournament as a team in the Women’s category to intensify their preparations.
In a draw held on Thursday evening, UTB VC, the defending champions learned their fate where they will face APR VC and Kirehe VC in the first group while REG VC, Kenya Ports Authority, IPRC Ngoma, and Gisagara VC contest in the second group.
In the women’s category, RRA VC, APR VC, IPRC Kigali are in the first group, while UTB VC, National Team U-20, IPRC Huye are placed in the second group.
Speaking to Flash FM on Wednesday, Mr. Eric Nsabimana, First Vice President of the Rwanda Volleyball Federation, said that in between games, they plan to share testimonies, pass the messages of remembrance just to mourn the people murdered in the genocide against the Tutsi.
He added that after GMT, the Rwanda Volleyball federation with its partners plan to organize a Liberation Day Tournament so that after commemorating the lives lost in the genocide against Tutsi they will pass on the message that the genocide was stopped by the liberators of the nation.
Last year, GMT was not held due to the current state of the covid-19 situation.
In 2019, in the men’s category, the UTB VC defeated REG VC 3-2 (25-15, 21-25, 19-25,25-10, and 15-13) in the final to clinch the trophy. While Uganda’s KCB Nkumba University defended the title won in 2018 by beating RRA in the final game.
History could be replayed as sports in the country are once again suspended for the next 42 days due to an upsurge in COVID-19 cases.
The scale at which COVID-19 has affected the globe is undoubtedly unprecedented. Numerous economies have evidently been reported to fall apart. The blitz of the virus has particularly hit sports.
Many sporting federations had their calendars already underway with the Uganda Premier League at Matchday 27, National Basketball League a few match days to Playoffs, Volleyball playing one of many tournaments ahead of the National Volleyball League to mention but a few.
These sports activities were conducted following the SOPs that were directed by the Ministry of Health, for example, testing of players, vaccination, playing behind closed doors, use of temperature guns, wearing of marks for everyone who had access to the venues, sanitizing to mention but a few.
To some extent, it was believed that the situation would be getting to the new normal by this time and indeed as regards sports, many had begun to settle in until COVID-19 cases shot up.
The Head of State, H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last evening at the State House while addressing the nation directed that all sports activities be suspended for the next 42 days as a means to combat the rising number of COVID-19 Cases
The last time sports were suspended, FUFA prematurely ended the soccer season thus declaring a winner, The Uganda Cup was prematurely ended, the basketball season was awaiting tipoff, and the National Volleyball League was awaiting serve-off. Could history be replayed for soccer?
It should be expected that National teams with upcoming events and Olympic-bound athletes will be prioritized, that is, the Gazelles, Uganda Women Basketball team preparing for the Afrobasket Zone Five Qualifiers in Rwanda, and The Uganda Kobs (Under 23) team preparing for the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.
The current situation of COVID-19 cases in the country has raised many red flags which have forced a nationwide lockdown for the next 42 days. The government has also called upon the people to play their part by following the measure put in place to fight the disease.
Hopefully this time we should come out better prepared.
LET’S FIGHT CORONAVIRUS TOGETHER. STAY HOME STAY SAFE.
Having been established with an aim of promoting and developing the talents of the youths in golf in Africa, the AFRIYEA golf academy has attracted the services of the Uganda national golf team captain Joseph Cwinyaai.
The Uganda golf national team Captain Joseph Cwinyaai has taken up coaching at the very first golf academy in Uganda.
Joseph Cwinyaai has been taking the youths through golf lessons and inspiring them to be professional golfers and aiming higher in the sport.
Joseph Cwinyaai who has a passion for golf says that coaching at AFRIYEA is one of the best opportunities to develop the talents of the underprivileged and minority youths into the sport.
“My involvement in the academy is to make sure that we encourage more youths into the sport where most of them have been sidelined leaving the game to the wealthy class of people and corporates,” Joseph Cwinyaai says.
Joseph Cwinyaai | Courtesy Photo
Joseph Cwinyaai says that golf is a good game for everyone and as the academy, they were happy that they are involving students of all sexes and empowering the girls and disabled children to also participate in it since the game is for everyone
The academy energizes the youths with a passion for the game of golf and also creates a platform for youths to make friendships that will last years.
Joseph Cwinyaai says that through the academy they are empowering the youths with engaging opportunities to dream big, build confidence and develop their abilities through practical sessions and tournaments.
“We have got many potential golf players but they have not had the opportunity to learn and explore their talents am very happy to bring in my experience from the national team,” Joseph Cwinyaai adds.
George Kituku a professional teacher and senior coach at the academy says they don’t only focus on golf but also support the students in their learning institutions by providing them with career guidance.
“When playing golf we encourage our students to concentrate on education and we also support them by creating an avenue for people to come in and support to further their education,” says Kituku
Ninah Mutesi senior six students at Kyebambe girl’s secondary school in Fort Portal and a golfer at AFRIYEA says that she wants to play for the national team and play alongside professional golfers.
“I love golf and I was happy to be trained by the national team captain. It has been my childhood dream and I want to be one of the best golfers in the country,” Mutesi says.
She says that Cwinyaai finds time to take them through the basic skills of playing golf and it has been an interesting moment to interact with him and other senior golfers in the country.
Mutesi says that she used to think that golf is for men but ever since she started playing under AFRIYEA she has come to believe that women can also do better in the game.
“Am very confident on the course actually Toro golf club has one of the best courses everyone would admire playing from,” Mutesi says.
Mutesi says that there was a need for the establishment of more golfing academies like it is in some other sports so as to attract more youths into golf.
“Golf is one of the most complicated games because institutions like schools don’t have the facilities to use for training and I am happy that AFRIYEA has already set the ball rolling into the training of pupils and students from their schools and this will develop the talents of the young ones,” Mutesi adds.
