Basketball Africa League in Pretoria: Burundi withdraws amid tensions with Rwanda
The Burundian basketball club, which is playing for the first time in its history in the fourth season of the Basket Africa League (BLA), in Pretoria, withdrew on Sunday for its second match against the FUS of Rabat.
At issue: the refusal of the players to wear a logo of the official sponsor displaying “Visit Rwanda”, which had been hidden by a strip of black adhesive tape on the players' jerseys.
A symbolic refusal which illustrates the ongoing tensions between Burundi and Rwanda.
View of Pretoria, capital of South Africa, where the 4th season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) is being held, since March 9, 2024. (Illustrative image).
Getty Images/Richard I'Anson
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With our correspondent in Pretoria,
Romain Chanson
Have the basketball players of Dynamo
Burundi
Basket Club said goodbye to their ambitions because of political interference?
It is a decision which in any case costs the Burundian club very dearly.
The Bujumbura team had shone by winning their first match, but a small detail had disturbed the observers.
The “Visit
Rwanda
” logo was hidden.
After the match, coach Julien Chaignot said he preferred to concentrate on the athlete.
“
In fact, when we arrived, we discovered the jerseys like that, we didn't try to understand.
I told my players not to worry about it, to stay focused on what we had to do, because unfortunately, we cannot control these aspects, it is not us who choose what it's on the jerseys.
»
The following has been announced by Basketball Africa League President Amadou Gallo Fall: pic.twitter.com/wlC0tMIh0s
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) March 10, 2024
A hidden logo
The president of the Burundian basketball federation, Apostle Jean-Paul Manirakiza, confirms having asked not to wear the logo.
His email was sent an hour before the meeting.
“
I sent the message that Dynamo players could play without the official sponsor logo.
When they hid it, they didn't consult me.
We also asked that they be able to take another jersey without the logo of the official sponsor.
For us, it wouldn’t cause any problem
,” he explains.
As a reminder, in January 2024, Burundi
closed its borders
with Rwanda after accusing Kigali of sheltering the headquarters of the Burundian Red-Tabara rebels, then
expelled its Rwandan nationals
from its territory.
Except that Rwanda is a major partner of this basketball competition: in addition to the sponsor “Visit Rwanda”, the airline “Air Rwanda” is also a partner.
Without forgetting that the final must be played in Kigali, the capital.
Read alsoBurundi: controversy after a new deadly attack claimed by the RED-Tabara rebellion
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