The 2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion, Event E, The Basketball Championship Finals
Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026 (The Sunday of the Memorial Day Weekend).
Time: 11:00 pm SHARP – 3:00 pm SHARP. If you come at 2:55 pm or later, the event will be over by then, and we will be gone.
Location: Rep Field House- New Albany, 5524 N Hamilton Rd, Columbus, OH 43230.
Ticket (Entrance Fee): $0.00 (Free) – If you are planning to attend, please register by clicking the “Register” button up above under this page’s title. This helps us in planning for security, crowd control and attendance capacity.
Guest Of Honor: _________________
Event Coordinator: ___________________
Hosts:
1. _________________.
2. _________________.
Guest of Honor’s Table:
1. Eva Kiwelu.
2. Mohammed Abdalla.
DJ’s:
1. Ian Lyatuu.
Official Photographers:
1. Salva Muhaya.
Official Videographers:
1. Salva Muhaya.
Basketball Equipment and Gear Managers
(All Players In Full Jerseys, 2+ Basketballs, 2+ Whistles, Stop Watches, Two Referees’ Striped Shirts, Statistics Sheets, Guest of Honor Table, Officials Tables and Chairs (2), Spectators’ Benches and Chairs, Women’s Champions Trophy, Men’s Champions Trophy, Women’s MVP Trophy, Men’s MVP Trophy):
1. ______________.
2. ______________.
The Program: The 2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic Finals
(Please Arrive On Time)
| Time | Event Item |
| 10:30 am-11:00 am | Arrival of Players, Guests and Guest of Honor. |
| 11:00 am-11:15 am | Hosts: Opening The Event, Welcoming and Introducing The Guest of Honor, Introducing Some Tanzanian Community Elders and Leaders In Attendance. |
| 11:15 am-11:17 am | One-Minute Moment of Silence- Rest In Peace David Mbaga, Community Member, Our Friend, Our Family and Head Coach of Ruaha Wild Dogs. |
| 11:17 am-11:25 am | Pre-Game Team Photos of All 4 Teams: All Coaches and Players In Their Complete Team Jerseys. |
| 11:25 pm-11:35 am | Game 1, Women’s Final, Player Introductions. |
| 11:35 am-11:40 am |  U.S. National Anthem. |
| 11:40 am-11:45 am |  Tanzanian National Anthem. |
| 11:45 pm-11:50 am | Guest of Honor Speech. |
| 11:50 am-12:50 pm | Game 1- Women’s Final. |
| 12:50 pm-1:00 pm | Game 2, Men’s Final, Player Introductions. |
| 1:00 pm-2:30 pm | Game 2, Men’s Semi-Final Game 2. |
| 2:30 pm-2:40 pm | Guest of Honor: Presentation of Championship Trophies and Awards. |
| 2:40 pm-2:55 pm | Champions and Award Winners: Post-Game Team Photo Shoot. |
| 2:55 pm-3:00 pm | Chairman’s Gratitude Remarks and Closing The Basketball Championship Event. |
—————————————————————-
GAME 1- WOMEN’S FINAL: #1 ZANZIBAR SHARKS VS. #2 MIKUMI LEOPARDS
| Date | Event | Time/Results | League | Season | Venue | Article |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  2026 Women’s Rwabutaza Basketball Classic Final | Women's Rwabutaza Basketball Classic | 2026 | Preview |
Game’s Time Format: 2 Halves of 15 Minutes of Stoppage Time In Each Half of Regulation; and 5 Minutes of Additional Overtime Periods In Case of A Tie Until A Winner Is Found. There is a 5 minute break between each half.
Officials:
Referee 1: ______________.
Referee 2: Paul Materu.
Score Keeper: Jennifer Mutabirwa.
Time Keeper: Jennifer Mutabirwa.
Judges For Most Valuable Player (MVP)
1. ______________.
2. ______________.
3. ______________.
4. ______________.
5. ______________.
Statisticians
1. Frank Mwemezi (Points)
2. Yuliks Ulinda Ali (Rebounds)
3. Hans Lundenga (Assists)
4. Leticia Mutabirwa (Steals)
5. Linus Muki Buhanza (Blocks)
6. Linus Muki Buhanza (Fouls)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS:
1. ZANZIBAR SHARKS (Colombia Blue/White Color)
2026 Zanzibar Sharks
| # | Player | Position | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | OFF | DEF | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  Sophia Mkamba | Guard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'4" |
| 3 |  Kierstyn Liming | Guard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'8" |
| 4 |  Edna Ngowi | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'3" |
| 6 |  Jennifer Mahemba | Center | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'8" |
| 7 |  Neema Massawe | Guard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'4" |
| 8 |  Lisbeth Sia Materu | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'2" |
2. MIKUMI LEOPARDS (Gold/Black Colors)
2026 Mikumi Leopards
| # | Player | Position | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | OFF | DEF | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Makayla Salukele | Guard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'7" |
| 2 |  Dr. Theresia Kobelo Mkangara | Guard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'2" |
| 4 |  Carine Kalokola | Guard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'4" |
| 7 |  Ashleigh Brown | Center | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'11" |
| 8 |  Sophia Katamba | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'4" |
| 9 |  Joy Lwiza Mtowa | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5'5" |
===========
GAME 2- MEN’S FINAL: SEMI-FINAL WINNER 1 VS. SEMI-FINAL WINNER 2
Game’s Time Format: 4 Quarters of 10 Minutes of Stoppage Time In Each Quarter of Regulation; and 5 Minutes of Additional Overtime Periods In Case of A Tie Until A Winner Is Found. There is a 2 minute break between each quarter, but the half time break is 5 minutes.
Officials:
Referee 1: ______________.
Referee 2: Paul Materu
Score Keeper: Jennifer Mutabirwa
Time Keeper: Hans Lundenga
Statisticians
1. Frank Mwemezi (Points)
2. Yuliks Ulinda Ali (Rebounds)
3. Leticia Mutabirwa (Assists)
4. Leticia Mutabirwa (Steals)
5. Linus Muki Buhanza (Blocks)
6. Linus Muki Buhanza (Fouls)
===========
Welcome! Karibu!
Thank You Sponsors!
| Sponsor | Industry | Point of Contact | Sponsorship Package |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Brighter Living LLC | Health Care | Ms. Ummy Mbega | Bronze |
| Gracious Holding, LLC | Life Coaching | Ms. Grace Kambira | Bronze |
| Wano | Media | Mr. Eilmer Bahri | Bronze |