Burundian Basketball Championship

Basketball league

Burundian Basketball Championship

Organising body| FEBUBA
Founded| 2022 (as Viva Basketball League)
Country|  Burundi
Number of teams| 12
Level on pyramid| 1
International cup(s)| Basketball Africa League (BAL)
Current champions| Urunani
(2024)
Most championships| Urunani (17 titles)[1]

The Burundian Basketball Championship (in French: Championnat National du Burundi), for sponsorship reason the Viva Basketball League, is a semi-professional basketball league that is the highest level of the sport in Burundi. The league is organised by the Fédération de Basketball du Burundi (FEBABU).

In 2022, the league signed a 4-year sponsorship contract with malt drink producer Viva; the winners of the league win a prize money of 10 million FBu (approximately $4,800).[2]

## Current teams

[edit]

The following 12 teams played in the 2025 season.

Team  | City  | Founded

|
|

Aigle Noir | Makamba | 2009
Dynamo | Bujumbura | 1968[3]
Gymkhana  | 1982[4]
Kern  |
Les Hippos  |
Lion Team  |
Muzinga  |
New Star | 2002
Remesha  |
Tigers  |  |
Urunani | Bujumbura | 1979[5]
Young Eagles  | Gitega |

## List of winners

[edit]

* 2012: Urunani
* 2013: Urunani
* 2014: Urunani
* 2015:
* 2016: Dynamo
* 2017:
* 2018: New Star
* 2019: Dynamo
* 2021: New Star
* 2022: Urunani
* 2023: Dynamo
* 2024: Urunani

## Finals

[edit]

### National Championship

[edit]

Season  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Score  | MVP  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2010

| Urunani |  |  |  | [6]

2011

|  |  |  |  |
2012  | Urunani | New Star | 69–59  | Elvis Gafyisi  |
2013  | Urunani | New Star |  |

| [7]
2014  | Urunani | New Star | 50–54  | Willy Nijimbere  | [8]

2015

| Urunani |  |  |  | [6]
2016  | Dynamo | Imbeya  | 72–59  |

| [9]

2017

|  |  |  |  |
2018  | New Star | Gymkhana  |  |

| [10]
2019  | Dynamo | Urunani | 76–54  | Jean Hakizimana  |
2021  | New Star | Muzinga Ngozi  | 74–61  |

| [11]

### Viva Basketball League (2022–present)

[edit]

Season  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Finals score  | MVP  | Winning coach  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

2022  | Urunani | New Star |

76–66

| Aron Kagabo  | [2]
2023  | Dynamo | Urunani |

4–2

| Olivier Ndayiragije  | [12]

2024

| Urunani | Dynamo |

4–3

| Jean Jacques Boissy | Olivier Ndayiragije  | [13]

## In international competitions

[edit]

### FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup

[edit]

Urunani is the only Burundian team to have played in the FIBA Africa Club Champions Cup, the top-tier competition on the African continent. They played in the 2011 tournament,[14] and in the 2013 tournament.[15]

### BAL

[edit]

Dynamo qualified successfully for the 2024 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).[16] Dynamo defeated the Malagasy team COSPN 79–78 in the third place game, became the first team from Burundi to play in the league, and the first Elite 16 wild card to advance to the main tournament.[16]

In the opening day game between Dynamo and South Africa's Cape Town Tigers, the Burundian side taped off the logo of league sponsor Visit Rwanda. Political tensions between the two border nations Burundi and Rwanda had been rising, as Burundi has accused Rwanda of supporting the RED-Tabara rebel militia in the country.[17][18] Dynamo forfeited their second game against FUS Rabat on 10 March, with the BAL citing "refusing to comply with the league’s rules governing jersey and uniform requirements" as the reason why.[19] Following Dynamo's second forfeit on 12 March, the team was automatically withdrawn from the group as per FIBA rules.[20] Dynamo players Bryton Hobbs and Makhtar Gueye stated that the Burundian government had prohibited the team to wear the logo and ordered the club to forfeit its games if necessary.[17][21]

Season  | Representative  | Road to BAL |  | Main competition

|
|
|
|

W | L | W%  | Result  | Qualified  | W | L | W%  | Result
2021 | Dynamo | 1  | 3  | .250  | First Round  |  | DNQ
2022 | New Star | 4  | 2  | .667  | Fourth Place  |
2023 | Urunani | 5  | 3  | .625  | Fourth Place  |
2024 | Dynamo | 4  | 4  | .500  |  Third Place  |  | 0  | 1  | .000  | Disqualified
2025 | Urunani |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total  |  | 14  | 12  | .538  |  | 0  | 1  | .000  |

## Heroes Cup

[edit]

The Heroes Cup (in French: Coupe des Heros) is a cup competition that is held to celebrate the Independence of Burundi and to commemorate its national heroes. It was established in 2017, and is organised by the non-profit organization Fondation Pax-Burundi.[22] Teams from the first championship participate, as well as teams from the B Division.[22]

Edition  | Season  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Score  | MVP  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | 2017  | Dynamo | Muzinga  | 53–48  | –  | [22]
2  | 2018  | Dynamo (2)  | Urunani | 71–34  | [23]
3  | 2019  | Urunani | Gymkana  | 60–55  | [24]
4  | 2020  | Dynamo (3)  | Muzinga Ngozi  | 72–62  | Amani Rushoza  | [25]
5  | 2021  | Urunani (2)  | Dynamo |  | –  | [26]
6  | 2022  | Urunani (3)  | Dynamo | 82–81  | [27]
7  | 2023  | Dynamo (4)  | Urunani | 52–45  | [28]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Urunani BBC states it has won more than 17 national titles, the exact number remains unknown.
2. ^ a b "The Urunani BBC team, champions of the VBL 2022 – ABP – Burundi News Agency". Retrieved 13 August 2022.
3. ^ "Basketball: «Dynamo est une équipe expérimentée»". AKEZA Burundi (in French). 25 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
4. ^ "Gymkhana, la révélation – IWACU". www.iwacu-burundi.org. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
5. ^ "A Propos - Urunani Basketball Club". Urunani (in French). Retrieved 25 October 2021.
6. ^ a b "Meneur Archives". Urunani (in French). Retrieved 1 October 2024.
7. ^ "Urunani Basketball Club sacré champion national de la saison". www.iwacu-burundi.org (in French). 5 May 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
8. ^ "Urunani Basketball Club claim National League title". Afrobasket.com. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
9. ^ Mugisha, Hervé (26 September 2016). "Basketball : Dynamo sacré champion national". www.iwacu-burundi.org. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
10. ^ Mugisha, Hervé (7 September 2018). "Basketball/ New Star BBC, tel un phénix qui renaît de ses cendres". www.iwacu-burundi.org (in French). Retrieved 30 November 2021.
11. ^ Ndour, Papa Lamine (23 May 2021). "Basket : New Star champion du Burundi". Sport News Africa (in French). Retrieved 30 November 2021.
12. ^ "Kenya Moran's Ariel Okal celebrate sixth league title as Dynamo edge out holders Urunani in Burundi". Afrobasket. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
13. ^ "VBL – Playoffs Finals : Urunani BBC de Jean-Jacques Boissy est champion du Burundi !" (in French). 29 September 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
14. ^ "Africa (FIBA): Africa Champions Cup : 2011/2012 - Latest Results". Scorespro.com. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
15. ^ "Schedule & Results". FIBAAfrica.com. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
16. ^ a b "Dynamo outlast COSPN, secure last BAL ticket". FIBA.basketball. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
17. ^ a b "Burundi's Dynamo exit Basketball Africa League over jersey row". Reuters. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
18. ^ "Burundi's Dynamo BC out of BAL over Visit Rwanda protest". ESPN.com. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
19. ^ "Dynamo Basketball Club forfeits game against FUS Rabat Basketball". The BAL. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
20. ^ "Basketball Africa League President Amadou Gallo Fall Statement regarding Dynamo Basketball Club". The BAL. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
21. ^ Reporter, Times (11 March 2024). "BAL 2024: Gueye slams Burundi's interference amid Dynamo forfeit". The New Times. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
22. ^ a b c "L'équipe Dynamo remporte la coupe des Héros". www.rtnb.bi. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
23. ^ Bahimpundu, Cédric (22 October 2018). "Coupe des héros : Dynamo et Les Gazelles en feu". Jimbere (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2023.
24. ^ "Basketball: l'équipe « Urunani » remporte la coupe des héros". www.rtnb.bi. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
25. ^ Bukuru, Pacifique (2 November 2020). "Coupe des Héros : Dynamo et les Gazelles encore ultra dominateurs". Jimbere (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2023.
26. ^ Répondre, NIYONKURU (20 October 2021). "Urunani à la reconquête du titre de la coupe des Héros". Urunani (in French). Retrieved 22 September 2024.
27. ^ Nishirimbere, Olivier (24 October 2022). "Coupe des héros: Le club Urunani bat Dynamo et s'offre une troisième sacre". Actualités sur le Burundi (in French). Retrieved 22 September 2024.
28. ^ "Dynamo BBC remporte la coupe des héros – Indundi Culture | Radio". Retrieved 28 November 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* FEBABU official Facebook

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