Rwanda: FIBA Women's Afrobasket 2023 - Five Things You Should Know

24 July 2023
The New Times (Kigali)
By Heritier Bahizi

Excitement draws up in Kigali as the city prepares to host the 28th edition of the FIBA Women's Afrobasket tournament which tips off at BK Arena on Friday, July 28 and runs until Saturday, August 5.

The event will showcase thrilling basketball action from 12 teams competing for the prestigious continental championship. As the tournament approaches, Times Sport delves into some important things you should know about the highly-anticipated women basketball show.

History and significance

This biennial tournament is organized under the umbrella of FIBA, the world governing body of basketball, and specifically falls under the African zone of FIBA.

Not only does the competition determine the continental champion of women's basketball in Africa, but it also serves as a crucial qualifying event for the FIBA Women's World Cup and the Olympic Games.

Who are the participants?

The FIBA Women's Afrobasket 2023 will witness fierce competition from 12 countries which are ready for the battle of the championship with pride and passion.

Participating teams are Rwanda, Angola, Cameroon, DR Congo, Cote d' lvoire, Egypt, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda.

The powerhouses and defending champion

Senegal holds the record for the most titles in the history of the FIBA Women's Afrobasket, with an impressive 11 victories. However, Nigeria currently reigns as the defending champion, having secured five titles overall.

The Nigerian team boasts an achievement of clinching the championship three consecutive times, making them the team to beat in this edition of the tournament.

The venue

The weeklong women basketball showpiece will take place at the BK Arena in Kigali. The 10,000-seater state-of-the-art venue promises to provide an electrifying atmosphere for players and fans alike.

Competition system

The tournament features a group phase that divides the 12 teams into four groups (A, B, C, and D), with each group consisting of three teams. In this stage, each team will engage in a one-leg game against their two group opponents.

The top teams from each group will directly advance to the quarter-finals, while the teams ranked second and third in each group will compete in knockout matches to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

As the tournament progresses to the final phase, the winners of the quarter-finals will move on to the semi-finals, while the losing teams will participate in classification games for the 5th to 8th places.

Read the original article on New Times.

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