The local women basketball national league side, The Hoops Rwanda, have insisted that they will be challenging for the title when the new season gets underway on January 17.

Moise Mutokambali’s team finished second last season after falling to champions APR 4-2 in the best-of-seven playoffs finals.

However, the men’s senior national team head coach guided his ladies to the 2019 Heroes Cup glory last February and believes this is the year they end their long wait for a first league title.

"We picked positives from our shortfalls. That was the closest we had got to a league title, and the target this season is to go a step high and we accomplish what we failed to last season,” Mutokambali told Times Sport in an interview on Saturday.

He added: "We started preparations early, all the players are in good form and ready for the new campaign.”

The 2020 women basketball league comprises six teams; APR, The Hoops, Ubumwe, IPRC-South, Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle and UR–Remera Campus.