CANADA-BASED professional Hamza Ruhezamihigo joined the men’s basketball team camp yesterday ahead of the preparations of the Fiba Afro-basket championship set to be held in Cote d’Ivoire this month.

He is one of the experienced players who joined the group which is under the tutelage of the Coach Moses Mutokambali.

Ruhezamihigo has been guided Rwanda to Afrobasket finals for three consecutive editions held in Angola [2007], Libya [2009] and Madagascar [2011]

USA-based Kenneth Gasana is the only and last professional expected to arrive on August 10.

Setbacks

Meanwhile, the national team has been hit with major setback following the absence of influential players.

Thailand-based Brannon Darius has been ruled of the competition with a knee injury. He has been given a month-long lay-off to enable quick recovery.

Cedrick Isom (Primeiro do Agosto, Angola), Dan Manzi and Adonis Rwabigwi (Tampa Bay, Florida USA) have also withdrawn from national duty to concentrate on demanding schools program.

The hoops camp is only made up of five professionals namely; two USA-based Patrice Twagirayezu, Bradley Cameron and Daniel Primo Rugamba, Thierry Sukusuku from France and Ruhezamihigo.

The team which is in camp at La Palisse Hotel since last Saturday is drawn in Group B alongside defending champions Tunisia, Morocco and debutants Burkina Faso.

They start their continental bid against Burkina Faso on August 21, take on Morocco on 23 before facing Tunisia on 25 August.