Burundi’s Dynamo Basketball Club (BC) has forfeited its highly anticipated Basketball Africa League (BAL) game against FUS Rabat, following a contentious dispute over the display of tournament sponsor Visit Rwanda’s logo.
The controversy first arose when Dynamo BC chose to cover the Visit Rwanda logo on their jerseys with tape during their previous matchup against the Cape Town Tigers – a game they went on to win.
The jersey contentions come at a time when tensions between Rwanda and Burundi are getting worse.
In a statement issued by BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall, it was revealed that Dynamo BC’s refusal to adhere to the league’s regulations regarding jersey and uniform requirements had led to the forfeiture of the game.
“Dynamo Basketball Club (Burundi) has forfeited its game against FUS Rabat Basketball (Morocco) on Sunday, March 10 at the SunBet Arena for refusing to comply with the league’s rules governing jersey and uniform requirements,” the statement read.
In June last year, The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) announced a multiyear partnership to showcase Rwanda as a world-class tourism and investment destination. As part of the partnership, Visit Rwanda would be showcased on all BAL team uniforms.
