31 July 2013
RWANDA : Espoir Keen to Retain Zone Five Basketball Championship Trophy
Espoir Basketball club coach John Bahufite has challenged his team to win for the second year running the Zone five basketball championship tournament which runs from August 5-11 in Bujumbura-Burundi.
Bahufite told Focus Sport that his team is much stronger than the one which won last year's tournament after adding in experienced shooting guard Lionel Hakizimana and point guard Olivier Shyaka.
"Although one of our good players- Kami Kabange left us, we reinforced with two very good players in Hakizimana and Shyaka which makes much stronger than last year.
I have no doubt that we are going to retain the trophy," a confident Bahufite said.
Espoir have been training for six weeks and are due to leave on August 3rd.
APR just wants experience
Although Espoir will be aiming for silverware, APR women basketball coach Charles Mbazumutima says his youthful side will go there for experience. "Our club changed policies last year so that we use only Rwandans, so I picked this team from secondary schools," he explains. "They are inexperienced and will mainly be there to gain experience but I can assure you that in two or three years, they will be a team challenging for regional trophies."
Rwanda was supposed to send three teams to the tournament but APR (men) pulled out to concentrate on military games slated for August 7th in Kenya.
Five countries that include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda will send teams to the regional showpiece.
Espoir have been in fine form since after finishing the first half of the league season leading the league log.
The western province side won last year's championship unbeaten, a feat they want to repeat as they haven't lost a league match
Bahufite told Focus Sport that his team is much stronger than the one which won last year's tournament after adding in experienced shooting guard Lionel Hakizimana and point guard Olivier Shyaka.
"Although one of our good players- Kami Kabange left us, we reinforced with two very good players in Hakizimana and Shyaka which makes much stronger than last year.
I have no doubt that we are going to retain the trophy," a confident Bahufite said.
Espoir have been training for six weeks and are due to leave on August 3rd.
APR just wants experience
Although Espoir will be aiming for silverware, APR women basketball coach Charles Mbazumutima says his youthful side will go there for experience. "Our club changed policies last year so that we use only Rwandans, so I picked this team from secondary schools," he explains. "They are inexperienced and will mainly be there to gain experience but I can assure you that in two or three years, they will be a team challenging for regional trophies."
Rwanda was supposed to send three teams to the tournament but APR (men) pulled out to concentrate on military games slated for August 7th in Kenya.
Five countries that include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda will send teams to the regional showpiece.
Espoir have been in fine form since after finishing the first half of the league season leading the league log.
The western province side won last year's championship unbeaten, a feat they want to repeat as they haven't lost a league match
# posted by afrbk : 15:44
