Patriots’ forward Steven Hagumintwari has been often praised as one of the best basketball talents of his generation but he has had his own struggles with injuries, which have at times side-lined him, denying the fans the chance of watching him play.

Arguably the best two-way player in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), the 30-year-old is gifted with great defensive skills, yet he doesn’t fall short in offence either.

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His most recent injury set-back was in 2021 during the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, when he broke his knee. This kept him off the court until the following year.

He made his return to action in 2022, but struggled to hit his pre-injury levels, yet his team needed him to be at his best as it faced aggressive competition from rivals Rwanda Energy Group (REG), the team which beat them in two consecutive playoff finals to win two titles at their expense.

This year, Hagumintwari seems to have put his injuries woes behind him and is on track to be the player he is expected to be. During the past couple of matches, he put in good numbers in terms of scoring and rebounding, besides entertaining fans with a couple of hammer dunks.

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Speaking to Times Sport though, the forward said he has not yet reached the level he wants to be yet, but pointed out that he is happy with his team. He pledged to work hard to get better and better in accordance to the competition that is currently in the league.

"I have not reached the level at which I want to be yet, because every day Rwandan basketball is growing. It requires working hard or else you will be left behind,” he said.

Times Sport also asked him about the big question of the teams that are reportedly interested in his services. He said he is choosing to stay with the Patriots and continue to achieve more with them.

"I discussed with the Patriots’ management what other teams were offering to me and I made a decision to stay with my team. Now the focus is on the league. I and my teammates want to win the championship,” he noted.