The men and women’s senior basketball teams started their respective residential training camps ahead of this year’s Fiba Zone V Championships which starts on January 21 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

There is no place for former Rwandan captain Rob Thompson, seen here in action against Burundi during the 2009 Zone V qualifiers in Kigali as well as Honore Ayebare (right). The New Times

Both teams started preparations with only home based players, who will be joined by their professional team-mates next week. The teams are scheduled to depart for Dar es Salaam on January 19.

The men’s team, which is missing two key notable star players Robert Thompson and Mathew Miller, is training at Amahoro national stadium indoor court, while female counterparts are at National University of Rwanda in Butare.

Efforts to talk to the team’s head coach Moise Mutokambali were futile as he wasn’t taking our calls,. However, according to the team assistant coach Jean Bahufite, the influential pair was been dropped because both are currently without clubs and so lack match fitness.

Six professional players on team include Canada-based Hamza Ruhezamihigo, Kenneth Gasana, Bradley Cameron Curtis.

Others are Dan Rugamba (Seattle Community College, USA), Isom Cedric (Primiero do Agosto, Angola), Brannon Darrius (Corr. Victoria, Mexico) and Bradley (Mississippi Gulf Coast College, USA).

The provisional squad includes 20 local players.

By Peter Kamasa, The New Times