The Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) has imposed a one-year suspension on APR BBC players Ntore Habimana and Axel Olenga Mpoyo after they failed to honor a call-up to the national team.
In a statement issued on Monday, FERWABA said the two players were selected to represent Rwanda in FIBA World Cup qualifying matches but did not report for national duty, despite having been released by their club.
The federation said the disciplinary action is in line with FIBA regulations and resolutions adopted by the FERWABA General Assembly, which require all summoned players to respond to national team call-ups when officially selected.
As a result, both Ntore and Mpoyo will not participate in any basketball-related activities in Rwanda for a period of one year.
FERWABA noted that this is the first enforcement of the disciplinary measures introduced in December 2025, which provide sanctions for players who decline national team invitations after being released by their clubs.
Mpoyo’s suspension follows a previous incident in 2024, when he also declined a national team call-up during preparations for the AfroBasket qualifiers in Senegal, citing fatigue after a long season.
Ntore Habimana has similarly missed national team engagements on multiple occasions, including a late-2025 call-up during Rwanda’s preparations for the FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifiers in Tunisia, when he and APR teammate William Robeyns cited personal reasons.
Both players are key figures for APR BBC and have featured prominently in recent competitions, including the RSSB Tigers squad that won the Basketball Africa League (BAL 2026), Africa’s premier club basketball tournament.
The suspension is expected to have significant implications for both players’ club and national team careers as Rwanda continues preparations for upcoming international competitions.
