Belgium-based power forward William Robeyns has cherished the experience of playing for the national basketball team for the first time, promising that there is more to come. The Afrobasket 2021 tournament that is currently taking place in Kigali was the first time for the 25-year-old to feature for Rwanda in any competitive games, having been summoned by head coach Cheikh Sarr in July when the team was embarking on preparations for the tournament. Despite Rwanda bowing out at the group stage level after losing a playoff match against Guinea on Monday, August 30, the team generally performed well, putting up good displays that saw them win games against Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Robeyns is one of the players that made a great contribution for the team, scoring 49 points during the tournament, 10 rebounds and 18 assists. In a message that he posted on Instagram after Rwanda was eliminated from the tournament, he said the team did not finish in a way they wanted, but lauded the experience of playing for the country, “What a first experience with my country at the Afrobasket 2021! Didn’t finish the way we wanted but the future is bright! Rwanda will be great for sure!” he wrote. “I wanted to thank all the people from Rwanda and Belgium who supported us throughout this journey, you all are the best, murakoze cyane.” “Big thank you to Ferwaba with its great organization, you can be proud of what you do for sport in Rwanda! And shout out to the squad, it’s just the beginning, we will be back, Rwanda, you’re amazing.” Robeyns was born on February 23, 1996, in Verviers – Belgium, to a Rwandan mother and a Belgian father. He is a citizen of both Belgium and Rwanda, and is a professional basketball player who has featured for teams like Phoenix Brussels and Liege in Belgium.
