At least 30 swimmers were selected to represent Rwanda at the 2023 Africa Aquatics Zone 3 III championship due in Kigali from November 21-27.

The final audition, held at Green Hills Academy over the weekend, attracted 88 participants from 10 teams but only 30 were selected.

The teams represented during the selection include Aquawave SC, Cercle Sportif de Kigali, Cercle Sportif de Karongi, Rwamagana Canoe and Aquatics Sports, Gisenyi Beach Boys, Rubavu SC, Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle, Rwesero SC and Mako Sharks SC.

The selected swimmers are expected to begin a training camp in Nyamata on a yet-to-be-determined date.

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Organized by the Africa swimming governing body (CANA), the Africa Aquatics Zone 3 III championship is among the Commonwealth Games qualifying events. Participants compete in various categories including Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly, while the Distances are 50, 100, 200, and 400 meters.

The 2023 edition will bring together Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, South Africa and host nation Rwanda.

Sudan was initially confirmed as host nation of the regional swimming competition but, due to persisting security concerns, CANA decided to shift it to Rwanda who last hosted in 2016.

In 2022, when these games were held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Rwanda was represented by five swimmers namely Claude Dusabe, Eric Iradukunda, Eloi Maniraguha, Neema Nyirabyenda and Claudette Ishimwe.

In the past three years, Rwandan swimmers have been competing in major international swimming competitions, including the Olympic Games, but none of them has managed to achieve any meaningful success.