Dar City Basketball Club shocked the Patriots with a 78-64 victory, finishing the Group B stage with a 1-1 record and advancing to the Genocide Memorial Tournament (GMT) 2025 semifinals.

After an opening-day loss to UGB, Dar City bounced back on April 25, stunning the Kigali giants and sending them home early.

The Tanzanian side entered the tournament not only to compete but also to stand in solidarity with Rwanda’s basketball community, commemorating the players, coaches, administrators, and fans lost during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Beyond participation, Dar City impressed with their organization and high-level play, proving that Tanzanian basketball is quickly rising onto the regional stage.

Despite falling short in their first match, Mohamed Bakari Mbwana’s team showcased quality basketball that won over Kigali fans. The support and morale boost from Game 1 carried them into a confident performance against the Patriots in Game 2.

Dar City raced to a 25-12 lead after the first quarter and maintained a 40-31 advantage at halftime.

Fueled by long-range shooting from Deng Dhieu and Obadiah Noel, the Dar-es-Salaam-based club dominated the third quarter, stretching their lead to 62-47 entering the final period. They kept Patriots at bay throughout the fourth, closing out the game with a commanding 78-64 win.

Obadiah Noel led all scorers with 22 points on 8-22 shooting, including 3-5 from three-point range. The former Westchester Knicks (NBA G-League) player also added 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 25 minutes of action.

Deng Dhieu contributed 21 points, while Patriots’ Cole Elliot Lamar was limited to 14 points as his team struggled to display their usual fighting spirit.

With this win, Dar City secured second place in Group B (1-1) behind UGB, while the Patriots finished last and suffered an early exit that stunned Kigali fans.

Dar City will now face APR in the semifinals on Saturday, April 26, at 9 PM at Petit Stade. The other semifinal will feature UGB taking on KPA at 6:30 PM.

In the women’s category, Uganda’s JKL Lady Dolphins will face Kenya’s KPA, followed by a clash between APR WBBC and REG WBBC, renewing their rivalry.

The short-handed Patriots pushed for a late comeback but narrowly lost 65–67 to UGB in the opening game of the Genocide Memorial Tournament, GMT 2025.

The tournament tipped off on Wednesday, April 23, at Petit Stade and welcomed international teams for the first time in six years.

The Group B clash between the Patriots and United Generations of Basketball (UGB) opened the men’s competition, with UGB starting strong to clinch the win.

As an international tournament with open slots for foreign players—unlike domestic competitions—GMT 2025 allowed UGB to field all five of their international signings, four of whom started the game.

Meanwhile, Sunny Munyandamutsa’s Patriots opted to rest star imports Cole Elliot Lamar and Frank Kamndoh Betoudji, entrusting local guard Jean Marie Rukerimbere to lead the team.

UGB, coached by Olivier Ndayiragije, capitalized on their advantage early, convincingly winning the first three quarters (18–14, 23–14, 15–12), and they had an 18-point lead during the third quarter.

However, Patriots’ forward Steven Hagumintwari sparked a dramatic comeback, hitting five three-pointers in the final period. His late-game heroics helped tie the score at 65 with just 34 seconds remaining.

With 16 seconds left, Patriots captain Kamilindi fouled UGB’s Mark Burton, and the American-Japanese guard calmly sank both free throws to restore UGB’s lead.

Despite having final possession, Patriots failed to convert and fell short in their tournament opener.

Steven Hagumintwari scored a game-high 20 points, while Jean Marie Rukerimbere contributed 18. Eric Kayondo led UGB with 19 points.

The Patriots return to action on Friday night against Dar City, while UGB face the same opponent today at Petit Stade in the three-team Group B round-robin.

Elsewhere, the scheduled game between REG BBC and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) was postponed due to KPA’s late arrival in Kigali. It has been rescheduled for today, April 24, at 12 p.m.

In the women’s category, KPA defeated Kepler WBBC 88–63, while REG WBBC cruised past East Africa University Rwanda with a 104–50 victory.

The Genocide Memorial Tournament (GMT) is an annual event organized by the Rwanda Basketball Federation in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and the Rwanda Olympic Committee. It honors members of the basketball community who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

APR are the defending champions in both the men’s and women’s competitions. REG BBC remains the last team to win the international edition in 2019, alongside Hoops in the women’s bracket.

Photos: Innocent SHEMA

Teams from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania have been invited to participate in the 2025 Genocide Memorial Tournament (GMT), held in remembrance of members of the basketball community who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Scheduled to take place from April 23 to 27, this year’s edition marks the first time in six years that the tournament will feature teams from the East African region.

The GMT 2025 will bring together eight Rwandan teams—four in each gender category. In the men’s category, local clubs APR BBC, REG BBC, Patriots, and Tigers will compete, while Kepler, REG WBBC, APR WBBC, and IPRC Huye will represent the women’s side.

APR’s men’s and women’s teams will defend the titles they won in 2024 at BK Arena. REG BBC, meanwhile, remains the last team to win the international edition of the tournament.

Originally initiated in 1996 by Espoir BBC as the “Gisembe Memorial Tournament”—in honor of their player and coach Emmanuel Ntarugera “Gisembe,” who was killed during the Genocide—the event was renamed in 2013 to the Basketball Genocide Memorial Tournament.

In 2015, in a collaboration with the Rwanda Basketball Federation and Espoir BBC, the tournament adopted a dual structure, combining both local and international competitions. By 2019, it had fully transitioned into an international event.

That year, REG BBC defeated Patriots in the men’s final, while The Hoops Rwanda claimed the women’s title after overcoming RP-IPRC Huye.

The tournament was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned in 2024, featuring only local teams. APR emerged victorious in both the men’s and women’s categories.

Now, after a six-year hiatus from international participation, the 2025 edition will once again welcome regional teams. The top four clubs from the Rwanda Basketball League’s first round will face off against invited teams from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

The Genocide Memorial Tournaments are organized annually by Rwanda’s Olympic Committee and national federations to honor the memory of athletes, coaches, administrators, and fans who were killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

To mark the 31st commemoration, the Rwanda Basketball Federation is once again extending a hand to the regional community to stand in solidarity and remembrance through sport.