For the first time, the Rwandan women's national basketball team is set to appear at a world stage as it takes part in the pre-qualifiers of the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup which will get underway on Monday, August 19 in Kigali.
The team will be rubbing shoulders with great national teams from various continents as it was placed in Group D alongside Argentina, Great Britain and Lebanon.
Since June, the national team players have been in camp, training hard under the tutorship of head coach Cheikh Sarr as they get ready to tussle it out for a slot in the main qualifiers competition that will take place in March 2026.
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Rwanda's first game will be against Lebanon at 8PM Kigali Time at the BK Arena.
As the action gets underway, Times Sport presents some of the things you may need to know about Rwanda's chances to proceed to the next stage.
1. Possibility of building on impressive Afrobasket 2023 performance
Rwanda surprised the continent in 2023 by finishing fourth at the Women's AfroBasket that took place in Kigali.
The team had a blend of both experience and young talent as it fielded seasoned players like Charlotte Umugwaneza as well as youngsters like Joyeuse Ineza.
As the team now heads into the World Cup pre-qualifiers, the challenge is way greater than the Afrobasket, and the technical bench knows that.
"These are teams we haven't tested our skills against before. It is an exciting challenge; one we are ready to embrace as an opportunity for growth and development. While we may be unfamiliar with their playing style, we approach each game with a spirit of resilience," Cheikh Sarr said in an earlier interview.
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Women's basketball W.Cup: Teams arrive in Kigali for pre-qualifiers
In preparation, the team has added new players including Bella Murekatete, a US-based Rwandan player who was among the best in college basketball last year, and Keisha Hampton, a seasoned forward with WNBA experience.
It is clear that Rwanda is stronger than how it was last year during the Afrobasket. However, its chances against the teams it will come up against will depend on many factors including their strength and quality as well as tactics by the coaches.
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2. Home-court advantage
Rwanda's success in the 2023 Afrobasket in Kigali was arguably also aided, in part, by the home-court advantage.
Rwandans are continuing to learn to love basketball and are expected to turn up in numbers at the BK Arena when Rwanda will be playing.
Home-court advantage can assist the team to gain confidence and momentum after every successful play, putting immense pressure on the opposition.
Will it give Rwanda a better chance against such top teams? We will know soon.
3. The advantage of underdog status
Rwanda were underdogs at Women's AfroBasket 2023, but somehow, the team came up with the game of their lives by beating neighbouring Uganda 66-61 in the quarterfinals to reach the last four of the competition for the first time in the country's basketball history.
Now with the world watching, Rwanda is trying to battle with top international teams which may come in considering it as an underdog. With that, the opposition teams may not give Rwanda as much attention which may work out in favour of the team.
