Rwanda: FIBA Qualifiers - Cheikh Sarr on Preps, New Faces and New Captain Kenny Gasana
By Damas Sikubwabo
The national basketball team is gearing up for the second window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers scheduled for July 1-3 at the BK Arena in Kigali.
Rwanda will be rubbing shoulders with Tunisia, South Sudan and Cameroon. The teams that comprise group B will be looking to put up strong performances to secure one of the three qualification slots in the group.
Currently, the team is at the bottom of the Group, having failed to win a single game in the first window, despite the fact that it played exciting basketball during the showpiece that took place in Senegal in March.
Going into the second window, Cheikh Sarr, the national basketball team head coach has summoned a number of new faces in the team, who did not feature in the second window, and has named Kenny Gasana, an experienced shooting guard as captain.
In this article, Sarr spoke to Times Sport about the reasoning behind his squad selection, preparations, what they need to do to qualify and why he chose experienced shooting guard Kenny Gasana as the new national team captain.
Excerpts:
Why did you drop many players that featured in the first window?
There is no age for talent. The national team roster experienced many rotations over the past competitions. Playing for the national team is a privilege and huge opportunity to bring a positive impact on the project. No one should take it for granted.
What are the new players going to add to the team?
We are still in the selection process. We are giving a chance to any local or foreign-based Rwandan players to display their talent. Regarding the different positions, most of them already played in the youth national teams. We can't tell right now what they can bring because the tryout is still on the go.
How confident are you in the new players, and what are some of the key things you will focus on to prepare them for the qualifiers?
New faces have to challenge themselves and demonstrate competency regarding the position they have been called for.
Looking at Rwanda's position in Group B currently, what are the chances of qualifying and what is required from the team to achieve qualification?
It requires us to win all the games we will play.
You named the experienced Kenny Gasana as captain. Tell us about the leadership qualities you saw in him, and what you expect from him in his new role?
He leads by example. He has a strong work ethic and displays discipline and commitment to the team. He is respected by his peers. He has been here for 13 years, and the young players need someone to lean on. He is the perfect fit. I believe time has come for him to get to the next level of leading the team on and off the court using his experience.
You will have a training camp abroad. Tell us where the camp will be, what friendly games will be played and how they will assist in preparing the team for the qualifiers?
We will play in Cairo against Egypt, Uganda and Jordan. The tournament will serve as a final assessment of our program and will help determine the final roster.
This article originally appeared in the New Times