{"id":74334,"date":"2024-05-29T15:00:58","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T15:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination"},"modified":"2024-05-29T15:55:46","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T15:55:46","slug":"why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination","title":{"rendered":"Why Rwandans keep showing up for BAL playoffs despite APR elimination"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>There is no doubt that the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs have always been on Rwandan basketball enthusiasts\u2019 A-list events to go to. It rarely misses out on their agenda.<\/p>\n

But after APR\u2019s shock elimination from the conference stage of the competition\u2019s in May, there was a reasonable doubt as to whether the tournament\u2019s turnout would dwindle in Kigali come playoffs time.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s edition of BAL was dubbed \u201cThe biggest show in African basketball\u201d and based on the BK Arena\u2019s momentum since it began on May 24, the tagline did not sell it short. And the momentum continued the following day and during the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

The playoffs\u2019 opening night was one for the books and even, despite APR\u2019s elimination, the arena was filled with fans eager to attend the games; but what was anticipated most for the4 opening night was the halftime performance by Adekunle Gold, a popular Afrobreats maestro from Nigeria.<\/p>\n

According to Ninette Musoni who purchased tickets for the May 24 opening games, the playoffs could not have started at a better time, and missing out on the games wouldn\u2019t have sufficed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t call myself a devout basketball fan but the BAL is always entertaining, and I really did not want to miss it this year,\u201d Musoni told Times Sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cBAL coming to Kigali in the end of May was a really good timing because it was right on time for payday. I enjoy dancing and grooving to the halftime shows and I really enjoyed Adekunle Gold\u2019s show very much,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Another reason the turnout might have been high for the ongoing BAL playoff games is that basketball has somewhat been woven into Kigali\u2019s social calendar what with the games happening every other weekend, and people have gradually become basketball fans henceforth.<\/p>\n

Jordan Mucyo, a 22-year-old university student told Times Sport that after following NBA highlights because he could not stay up late enough to watch the games online, it has been refreshing to watch basketball games in real time, especially at the LDK gymnasium and the BK Arena.<\/p>\n

Mucyo added that having a competitive league such as BAL host the playoffs in his home city is exciting, and has inspired him to make time and save up to attend games.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a Golden State Warriors fan but I only watch highlight reels because the games happen in the middle of the night. When Rwandan basketball started growing, I was excited to attend the games and they have not disappointed. They are always exciting to watch and I like that they are affordable,\u201d said Mucyo.<\/p>\n

\u201cI followed APR games in Senegal and I was sad when they lost to the Senegalese team but I was also looking forward to continuing to watch the competition in Kigali, and it has been enjoyable. I am now rooting for Cape Town Tigers to win it all,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the growing basketball scene in Rwanda, quite a number of people have been following the local league and, with the league taking a short break, they have extended their adventure to BAL<\/p>\n

Collins Murekezi, for instance, has been a consistent APR fan and was inclined to follow the Sahara Conference in Senegal, where he was impressed by Rivers Hoopers\u2019 performance. He was always a big fan of the Nigerians unlike they would be going up against APR.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have witnessed APR dominate domestic basketball and I was looking forward to cheering them throughout BAL. But they didn\u2019t excel enough to make it back on home court. I admired the way the Hoopers played in Senegal and, now that APR are out, I am rooting for them to win the championship,\u201d said Murekezi.<\/p>\n

Christella Akaliza is one of the people that has shown up for most of the playoff games, and when Times Sport inquired what she enjoyed about the tournament, she excitedly pointed out that basketball games are ideal for post office hangout, and the entertainment is a bonus.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of my friends just returned to Rwanda for summer holidays and connecting with them at BAL games has been thrilling. Bonding over our shared love for the game had been quite thrilling, and the interesting halftime shows have been making the rounds in the group chat. I am having fun at the games but I haven\u2019t really committed to rooting exclusively for any teams,\u201d says Akaliza.<\/p>\n

For lovers of music and performance arts, basketball has been a sideshow. For Frederica Uwase, supporting and reveling in the halftime shows put on by local artists is reason enough to show up for the games, and the fan action on the sidelines has been quite entertaining to watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first games were must-watch one because beginnings are always momentous, but what I really enjoyed about the BAL so far as a non-basketball fan is the halftime shows from Rwandan artists, especially Kivumbi King\u2019s performance yesterday. We don\u2019t really get to see our artists perform on big stages enough and it\u2019s always nice when they do,\u201d says Uwase.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the more interesting things for me to watch at the River Hoopers vs US Monastir game was how passionately the Nigerian fans cheered their team on, and the fan action is a joy to witness because it is normally reserved for football,\u201d adds Uwase.<\/p>\n

The riveting Basketball Africa League is set to conclude on June 1 at the BK Arena.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. There is no doubt that the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs have always been on Rwandan basketball enthusiasts\u2019 A-list events to go to. It rarely misses out on their agenda. But after APR\u2019s shock elimination from the conference stage of the competition\u2019s in May, there was a reasonable doubt as to whether […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":74333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,18],"tags":[760,763,758],"class_list":["post-74334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-rwanda","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Rwandans keep showing up for BAL playoffs despite APR elimination - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is no doubt that the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs have always been on Rwandan basketball enthusiasts\u2019 A ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Rwandans keep showing up for BAL playoffs despite APR elimination\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There is no doubt that the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs have always been on Rwandan basketball enthusiasts\u2019 A ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-29T15:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-05-29T15:55:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2024\/05\/sm_1716984798.586171.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Why Rwandans keep showing up for BAL playoffs despite APR elimination\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-29T15:00:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-05-29T15:55:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination\"},\"wordCount\":934,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2024\/05\/sm_1716984798.586171.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Rwanda\",\"Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/why-rwandans-keep-showing-up-for-bal-playoffs-despite-apr-elimination\",\"name\":\"Why Rwandans keep showing up for BAL playoffs despite APR elimination - 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