PATRIOTS basketball star Steven Hagumintwari has been declared fit for the final round of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) next month, club officials have confirmed. The small forward has been nursing a hand injury he picked during the first round last month in Tanzania while he helped his side to finish top of Group D with a clean 4:0 win ratio. Rwanda will host Group H games of the second and final round of qualifiers for the continent’s to-be-biggest club competition, which tips off in March 2020. Speaking to Times Sport on Wednesday, Patriots head coach Francis Odhiambo said that the player was getting fit and part of his team’s training, though he will not be featured in the final of the Agaciro Tournament against Rwanda Energy Group on Friday. “The doctors have said he is fit. He is working with the fitness coaches now, and soon he will be joining teammates in full training,” said Odhiambo. He added: “He will not feature in the Agaciro final, but definitely he will be part of the team in the second round of BAL qualifiers. He played an integral role in the first round.” The Rwandan champions, Patriots, will have to finish among the top 3 of Group H if they are to secure a ticket to the inaugural BAL finals tournament. Group H: KPA (Kenya), Ferroviario de Maputo (Mozambique), Madagascar (GNBC), UNZA Pacers (Zambia), City Oilers (Uganda), JKT (Tanzania), Cobra (South Sudan) and Patriots.
