Aristide Mugabe
Aristide Mugabe (born 11 February 1988) is a Rwandan professional basketball player for Patriots of the National Basketball League.
| No. 88 – Patriots BBC | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Rwandan League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 11 February 1988 Maraba, Rwanda |
| Nationality | Rwandan |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 2007–present |
| Career history | |
| 2007–2009 | Rusizi |
| 2009–2015 | Espoir |
| 2015–present | Patriots |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life
Mugabe was born to Theotime Habiryayo and Veneranda Mukamurehe in Maraba, a sector in the Huye District of Rwanda, and was the second born in a family of three boys. He grew up playing football with other children in his neighborhood.[1]
In 1994, when Mugabe was six years old, his father, older and younger brothers, and other relatives were killed by the Interahamwe militia in the Rwandan genocide. After their deaths, he frequently moved around to escape the Interahamwe. Eventually, he and his mother were evacuated to Burundi by the humanitarian organization Terre des hommes.[2]
The trauma of losing his family members in the genocide caused him to give up sports for the next six years. In 2001, Mugabe started playing basketball after being encouraged by his secondary school, E.A.V. Ntendezi, in the Nyamasheke District. He credits basketball with helping him recover from the genocide. He attended St. Joseph Kabgayi, where he won a high school title and finished third place at the East African secondary school games, before moving to Laiser Hill Academy in Nairobi, Kenya for one year, winning an East Africa secondary school title as its most valuable player (MVP).[1]
Professional career
In 2007, Mugabe made his debut in the National Basketball League, the top-flight league in Rwanda, with Rusizi BBC. Two years later, he joined Rwandan team Espoir BBC. Mugabe also played in the Zone VI Championships qualifiers of the FIBA Africa Clubs Championship with Marine BBC in 2009 and with Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK) in 2010.[3] In 2012, Mugabe led Espoir to its first Zone V championship, a qualifier for the 2012 FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup, and was named MVP of the National Basketball League after winning the regular season title and playoffs trophy.[1] In 2013, he repeated as MVP after helping Espoir win the regular season title and playoffs trophy.[4]
In 2015, Mugabe signed with fellow Kigali-based club Patriots.[5] With the Patriots, he won three consecutive NBL titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
National team career
Mugabe has played for the Rwanda national basketball team on several occasions, serving as captain. He played in AfroBasket in 2011, 2013, and 2017.[6]
Personal life
In early 2014, Mugabe graduated from University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK) in Kigali with a bachelor's degree in finance. He has worked at the Bank of Kigali and as an accountant for Rwandan security company ISCO.[7]
References
- Bishumba, Richard (13 April 2015). "Mugabe: From Genocide agony to top basketballer". The New Times. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- "Survivant du génocide et ensuite capitaine du Rwanda : l'histoire émouvante de Aristide Mugabe" (in French). News Basket Beafrika. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- "Hard work brings the best out of Mugabe". The New Times. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- Kamasa, Peter (17 March 2013). "MVP Mugabe praises to teammates". The New Times. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- Kaweru, Franklin (9 November 2015). "Patriots acquire Aristide Mugabe from Espoir". Kawowo Sports. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- "Aristide Mugabe: Getting a World Cup ticket is a possibility for Rwanda". FIBA. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- Kantengwa, Sharon (30 September 2016). "Basketball can take you places - Mugabe". The New Times. Retrieved 21 October 2019.