A National Sport

Basketball is among the most popular sports in Rwanda, second only to football and by far the most watched indoor sport in the country.

Rwanda hosts a number of competitions every year at national and international level. Over the last decade, the country has been regular fixture in competitions organised by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), at the continental level as well as senior and junior level for both men and women.

The Rwanda Basketball Federation oversees the expansion and continuous improvement of basketball across the country and provides an enabling environment for skill development, talent nurturing and high-level competition for basketball in Rwanda.

National Basketball League

The National Basketball League is Rwanda’s top professional basketball league, with the season usually running from November to September. The winners of the league go on to the qualifiers of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Rwanda’s National Basketball League has 20 teams made up of 14 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams, many of which are based in Kigali. The current champion of the league is Patriots Basketball Club, who have won the past four championships and qualified for the inaugural Basketball Africa League being held in Kigali from 16-30 May 2021.