Canadian squash player, Justin Todd, has challenged local players to ‘put in some hard work’ consistently and engage in many competitions if squash in Rwanda is to reach a professional level.

Todd made the comments at Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK) over the weekend during the Squash Open Tournament. 

"The (Rwandan) players are at a good level, but they still have a long way to go,” said Todd. "They need to get out there and, play more games and competitions in order to get the necessary exposure and experience."

"Also, they need to work together and motivate each other. Cooperation is very important."

Todd, who was a guest participant in the two-day showpiece, claimed the title after dominating  the country’s top-seed Christian Habimana 11-5 11-6 and 11-5 in the final.

Habimana admitted that Todd is stronger and more experienced, but vowed to challenge him next time the Canadian returns to Rwanda.

David Uwimana finished third having lost to Habimana in the semi-finals, while Chris Shema came completed the top four.