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Born in Savannah Georgia, Joseph ‘Joby’ Wright is an American former college and professional basketball player, and men’s basketball head coach at Miami University and at the University of Wyoming.

A month ago, Wright was appointed as Rwanda National Basketball Federation (FERWABA) technical director. The American signed a two-year contract until end of 2018, taking over from Shema Maboko.

The new technical director will be responsible for a whole lot of things that will offer an element of continuity above and beyond training and improving skills among the coaches.

Wright is also charged with designing a basketball youth development programme, selecting national coaches for national basketball teams, looking for corporate sponsorship and organising trainings outside Rwanda.

Last week, Times Sport’s reporter Jejje Muhinde caught up with Wright and asked him about the typical work of a technical director, his responsibilities, why he accepted to take up the job, and what plans he has especially regarding youth development.

Below are the excerpts:

For those who are not well conversant with basketball, can you briefly describe the typical work a technical director.

Joseph Wright.

My role and responsibilities will be quite unique compared to the typical technical director position.

I have been appointed to contribute to the development of strategic national planning for youth development programmes at the grassroots level through the schools, up to the senior national teams, both men and women.

Also included will be the men and women national leagues, as well as enhancing basketball structure at the university level. I will also be involved, as determined by FERWABA, with the recently opened Basketball Academy in Masanze.

In addition, I will be responsible for marketing and promotion of basketball locally and internationally, which includes assisting in the design of sponsorship proposals targeting special needs to grow our development outreach programme.

Hopefully, by having steady partners, it will help to increase the number of participating teams, boost infrastructure development and create special programmes to increase the participation of girls and young women in basketball.

I am also responsible for elevating coaching techniques and skills as well as designing a Coaches Certification Programme. We will also be involved with the designing of a training programme to increase the strength, physical conditioning, endurance and nutrition to maximise the potential of the players.

Something else that I am charged with is to increase our visibility and profile in the region as well as to raise our level of competitiveness to the standard of the top teams in Africa.

You played basketball at the professional level, what inspired you to go into coaching and now directorship?

One of the most difficult transitions to make as a basketball player to becoming a basketball coach is developing a coach mindset before you can develop a coaching skill set.

As a player, all you are concerned with is you as an individual, being ready to play and contribute in any way possible as an individual.

But, as coach, you have to have a complete understanding of the game. The organisation of a team, practice planning, game management, individual and team skill development, conflict resolution, analytical thinking, problem solving, the rules of the game, players rotation, substitute patterns.

Having a personal philosophy based on athletic, education and life experience, teacher, motivator, role model, father, brother, disciplinarian, friend, mentor, great communicator, and finally a winner.

You have to become a student of the game in order to teach the game to others.

In regards to becoming the Technical Director of Rwandan basketball, although we have some challenges, this role offers me a tremendous opportunity to contribute significantly to taking basketball in this country to the next level.

I bring to this position my life experience, my athletic experience as a player and coach, my education, my expertise as an administrator and programme manager, experiences and opportunities that I have had in basketball.

Do you think Rwandan basketball has potential to rise at the continental and world level?

I would not have taken this position or accepted the challenge to become the national technical director if I didn’t believe in the people that I am going to be working with. The team at FERWABA impressed me with their commitment to taking basketball in Rwanda to another level.

It will not be easy and we’ll not achieve our target overnight, but I have seen a lot of potential in some of the young players, which gives me hope that we have the base to build on going forward.

It must be clearly understood that to build a championship programme is a gradual process, which begins with vision, leadership, organisation, management, community support, sponsorship from local business. We also need the media on board because we are all in this together.

When I was with NBA Africa, I came here with Luol Deng, Toronto Raptors president and General Manager Massi Userri and NBA Africa President Amadou Fall, in 2012, to conduct basketball camps; it is when I realised that Rwanda was a special place.

After that, I came back about five times in the last 8 months and after each visit, I became more interested and attracted to becoming part of the team developing basketball here.

There is something very special about the character of the people of Rwanda that also impressed me, the transformation that this country has gone through over the past 22 years, is absolutely amazing.

About Joseph ‘Joby’ Wright

Born September 5, 1950, he is an American former college and professional basketball player and he coached the men’s basketball teams at Miami University and the University of Wyoming.

Wright played basketball at Johnson H Wright and returned to Indiana University in 1978 and completed his bachelor’s degree requirements, then earned a master’s degree, both in physical education.

He served as an assistant coach at Indiana for nine seasons. During those seasons, he was part of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship teams in 1981 and 1987, and had nine NCAA tournament appearances, and four Big Ten titles.

In 1990, Wright was named the head coach at Miami (Ohio) for three seasons before joining the University of Wyoming in 1993. In 1999, he was hired by the Harlem Globetrotters as Head Coach and Director of Competitive Play.

Before taking the FERWABA job, he had been serving as Head Coach and Technical Director of NBA Africa, the league’s development programme in Africa. He is also CEO/President of Joby Wright Basketball School/Wright Way Foundation.

At Indiana University, he averaged 17.4 points per game and a total of 1,272 points as a sophomore in 1969–70.

<Source: The New Times>

Over 600 players from about 30 countries across the world are expected to grace the fourth edition of Gorilla International Open and the second edition of Africa Para-Taekwondo Open that will be hosted in Kigali in March and April, officials have said

The two international competitions will be held simultaneously from March 31 until April 2 at Amahoro indoor stadium, and according to Rwanda Taekwondo Federation (RTF) Secretary General Placide Bagabo about 100 local players to compete in the two competitions have begun early preparations in their respective 29 clubs across the country.

Rwanda was given the rights to host the continental championship during the WTF General Assembly after the World Junior Taekwondo Championship in November last year in Canada and this will be the first time that Rwanda will compete in the Para-Taekwondo competition.

“We expect at least 600 players from about 30 countries across the world, countries will be eligible to participate in both competitions and as Rwanda we are very glad to host such big tournaments that will attract such a great number of players in the history of our country,” said Bagabo at a press conference that was held at Amahoro stadium on Tuesday. In January 2016, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that taekwondo will make its historic debut in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and it’s in that context that Rwanda will be looking to use the event as part of preparations for the national team that will compete in the Olympic qualifiers.

“We need to use this opportunity to prepare both our teams for Olympic and Paralympic qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 because we aim to debut at the next Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he added

On the other hand, RTF Secretary General Martin Koonce noted that the two competitions will cost about Rwf 100 million and insisted everything is going according to plan.

“It’s amazing and historic to host these competitions, and we are going to try our level best to have a colorful showpiece and we call upon the stakeholders to support us and make it more successful,” said Koonce.

<Source: http://rwandataekwondo.org>

Rwanda’s women referee Salma Rhadia Mukasanga is one step closer to refereeing on football’s biggest stage with selection on the FIFA 2019 Women’s World Cup Candidates Program for prospective Match Officials.

Mukasanga is one of the only six center referees selected from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

In the appointment letter sent to Rwanda Football Federation on Thursday, the World Football body, FIFA’s Head of Refereeing Massimo Busacca said, “This is an exceptional honor as only 45 Referees and 88 Assistant Referees have been selected as candidates from over 750+ women FIFA referees/assistant referees worldwide,”

“Our goal at FIFA is to select the world’s best match officials, for the world’s best competitions – the FIFA World Cup(s),” added Busacca.

The aim of the program is to prepare prospective FIFA World Cup referees through fitness monitoring, psychological analysis of game demeanor, and testing of the FIFA Laws of the Game.

FIFA has launched a three-year plan for development and monitoring of the Women’s World Cup candidates over the next 3 years in order to achieve their shared goals. Only a limited number of match officials will be selected to officiate in the Women’s World Cup, and selection will be based 100% on performance.

The candidates program starts this year with a FIFA seminar due in Portugal in February for all the candidate referees and this will be followed by the Algarve Cup for 12 referees & 24 assistant referees.

FIFA will also be sending staff to Confederation/MA seminars and tournaments to observe the candidates progress

In 2018, based on results from 2017, FIFA will host a seminar in Portugal for the candidate referees, followed by the Algarve Cup. Candidates will also attend FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018 and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018.

FIFA will also observe the candidates progress in the Confederation and MA Seminars & tournaments.

In 2019, based on results from 2018, FIFA will host a seminar in Portugal for the remaining candidate referees, followed by the Algarve Cup.

Then the selected officials for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 will then be sent to Zurich for final preparations from where only the best Referees and Assistant Referees will be selected for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France 2019.

Mukasanga began her refereeing career in 2007 before becoming an international referee in 2012. Since then, she has officiated at major tournaments, including Africa U-17 and U-20 finals as well as senior World Cup preliminary games, 2015 All African Games, 2015 CECAFA women challenge that took place in Jinja, Uganda and most recently, the CAF Women’s championship held in Cameroon last year.

Other African candidate referees picked include Tanzania’s Jonesia Kabakama, Zambia’s Lengwe Gladys, Cameroonian Neguel Therese, Ethiopian Tafesse Ledya and Senegalese Thioune Fatou respectively.

Nine assistant referees candidates from Africa were also picked as candidates for the 2019 FIFA Women World Cup and they include; Akou Kossonoux Denis (Cote d’Ivoire), Kone Fanta Idrissa (Mali), Kwimbira Bernadettar (Malawi), Mbakop Josiane (Cameroon), Mosimanewatwala Botsalo (Botswana), Njoroge Mary (Kenya), Oulhaj Souad (Morocco), Rakotozafinoro Lidwine (Madagascar) and Some Bielignin (Burkina Faso).

Source: Ferwafa.rw

Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) officially unveiled American Joseph ‘Joby’ Wright as the new technical director on Friday at Amahoro National Stadium.

Wright, 66, is an American former college and professional basketball player, who comes to Rwanda with vast experience, according to FERWABA secretary general, Richard Mutabazi.

Mutabazi noted that, “Previously we thought our basketball does not need a foreign technical director since the standards were still down but now we med-blog.com it’s the right time to appoint somebody with vast experience to help improve the sport.”

“We are confident that the new technical director will help take Rwandan basketball to another level,” added Mutabazi. The American signed a two-year contract until end of 2018.

On his part, the new technical director said that, “I am pleased to work in Rwanda, a country with unlimited potential.”

“Having had the opportunity to travel in 12 African countries, I was impressed with Rwanda because of many things; 60% of the population are youth, safety, infrastructure and the leadership right from the President of the country, enticed me to come and work here,” Wright explained.

He added, “I’m looking forward to working with the national teams and coaches. I have spent a lot of my life impacting young people in basketball. I believe we can have a great national team in Rwanda.”

“Rwanda has the potential to develop in basketball. It’s not going to be easy because there are challenges but we can overcome that with commitment from everyone,” he noted.

The new technical director will be responsible for a whole host of things that will offer an element of continuity above and beyond training and improving skills among the coaches.

He will be charged with designing a basketball youth development program, selecting national coaches for national basketball teams, searching for corporate sponsorship and finding trainings outside Rwanda.

<<Source: The New Times>>

The second campaign of forest landscape restoration campaign through sport 2016 took place in Gicumbi district last Sunday, December 4^th, 2016.

The forest landscape restoration campaign through sport 2016 is a series of activities organized by The Ministry of natural resources (MINIRENA) in partnership with The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), The Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee (RNOSC) and the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA).

Gicumbi is the origin of Handball, this second campaign has been made through a Handball competition as the key to increase a massive awareness on landscape restoration.

Four first division teams: GICUMBI, APR, POLICE, NYAKABANDA, and APR attended this tree planting campaign competition.

APR handball club defeated POLICE handball club on the final match with the score of 27-22.

The president of Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee, Mr. BAYIGAMBA Robert, the vice mayor of Gicumbi district in charge of finance and the programs manager of IUCN and other dignities were present.

All the speeches focused on protecting the environment by planting trees and encouraged everyone to protect the environment.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana have been named the male and female World Athletes of the Year at the IAAF Athletics Awards 2016, held at Sporting Monte Carlo on this Friday, December 2, 2016.

Bolt, who won the award five times between 2008 and 2013, added to his legacy by earning the trophy for a record sixth occasion. The sprinting superstar this year successfully defended his Olympic titles in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, bringing his lifetime tally of Olympic gold medals to nine.

He clocked season’s bests of 9.81 and 19.78 to win the 100m and 200m in Rio and then anchored the Jamaican team to a world-leading 37.27 when winning the 4x100m.

He also went undefeated throughout the whole season at all distances, including heats.

“I live for the moments when I walk into a stadium and I hear a loud roar and Rio was outstanding,” said Bolt, whose award was presented by IAAF President Sebastian Coe. “One of the main reasons I’m continuing for another year is because of the fans; they don’t want me to retire. I have to give thanks to them.”

Ayana had a record-breaking year. After recording the fastest 10,000m debut in history in June, the Ethiopian went on to win the Olympic title at the distance in a world record of 29:17.45.

She added to her Olympic medal haul in Rio by taking bronze in the 5000m, her only loss of the year. Having recorded three of the eight fastest times at 5000m, she ended the year as the Diamond Race winner for that discipline.

She becomes the third Ethiopian woman to win this award, following Genzebe Dibaba in 2015 and Meseret Defar in 2007.

“I don’t have words to explain my feelings right now, I’m so excited,” said Ayana whose award was presented by International Athletics Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. “Really, I’m so pleased.”

OTHER AWARDS

MALE RISING STAR
Andre De Grasse

At the age of 21, the Canadian sprinter earned the Olympic 200m silver medal in Rio, having set a national record of 19.80 in the semifinal. He took bronze over 100m in a PB of 9.91 and anchored the Canadian team to bronze in the 4x100m, setting a national record of 37.64.

FEMALE RISING STAR

Nafissatou Thiam

The Belgian all-round talent won gold in the heptathlon at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with a world-leading national record of 6810. Just 21 at the time, only one athlete (Carolina Kluft) has ever produced a higher score than Thiam’s at that age. En route to her Olympic triumph, she set a world heptathlon best of 1.98m in the high jump; higher than the winning leap in the individual high jump final.

COACHING ACHIEVEMENT
Harry Marra

The US coach guided Ashton Eaton to his second successive decathlon gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where Eaton equalled the Olympic record, and his third consecutive world indoor heptathlon title. Marra also guided Brianne Theisen-Eaton to the pentathlon title at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016, where she broke the North American record. She later earned the bronze medal in the heptathlon at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

PRESIDENTS AWARD

Tegla Loroupe

Loroupe was the Chef de Mission for the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio. The former marathon world record-holder helped select the Refugee Olympic Team after the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation held a competition at the Kakuma refugee camp in north-west Kenya.

This award recognises and honours great service to athletics.

WOMEN IN ATHLETICS

Polyxeni Argeitaki

Argeitaki is an assistant professor of athletics at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens. The former Greek champion at middle-distance events is the treasurer, council member and president of the scientific committee at the Hellenic Athletics Federation. She has also written more than 50 scientific publications.

This award recognises outstanding achievements and contributions made to develop, encourage and strengthen the participation of women and girls at all levels of the sport.

<Based on IAAF Website>

Stage 7: Top Five

1. Tesfom Okubamariam- Eritrea National Team 02h43’21’
2. Eyob Metkel- Dimension Data for Qhubeka 02h43’21’
3. Valens Ndayisenga- Dimension Data for Qhubeka 02h43’24’
4. Aman Werkilul Ghebreigzabhier-Dimension Data for Qhubeka 02h43’40’
5. Elyas Afewerki- Eritrean National Team 02h43’40’

General Classification: Top Five
1. Valens Ndayisenga- Dimension Data for Qhubeka 21h15’21”
2. Eyob Metkel- Dimension Data for Qhubeka 21h16’00’
3. Tesfom Okubamariam- Eritrea National Team 21h16’51’
4. Joseph Areruya- Les Amis Sportif 21h18’13’
5. Aman Werkilul Ghebreigzabhier-Dimension Data for Qhubeka 21h19’26”

For the third time in a row, Rwandans have proved to be the masters of their own race with Valens Ndayisenga, riding for South Africa-based Continental Team Dimension Data, clinched this year’s eighth edition that climaxed today at Amahoro National Stadium.

Despite finishing third in the final stage (Kigali-Kigali; 108km), three seconds behind Eritrean stage winner Tesfom Okubamariam, Ndayisenga claimed this year’s title to become the first rider to win the UCI Africa Tour, category 2.2 road race, more than once.

The 2014 winner took this year’s edition having used a time of 21 hours, 15 minutes and 21 seconds, covering seven stages and a prologue, a total distance of 819.1km.

The 22-year old Rwamagana native beat off stiff competition from his teammate Eyob Metkel, who finished just 39 seconds behind in second place after clocking 21h16’00’, while Okubamariam came third using 21h16’51’.

Last year’s first runner-up, Joseph Areruya, riding for Les Amis Sportifs de Rwamagana, finished in the fourth place having used 21h18’13’.

However, it was a year to forget for defending champion Jean-Bosco Nsengimana of Germany’s Stradalli Bike Aid, who could only managed 9th place in the general classification after using 21h20’24’’ a gap of five minutes and three seconds behind Ndayisenga.

Ndayisenga is the first rider to win Tour du Rwanda twice since it became part of UCI Africa Tour in 2009.

Source: The New Times