Some 66 swimmers are set to participate in the inaugural Iwawa-Kivu Open Cross Swimming Competition that rolls off this Saturday in Rubavu District.

Organised by Rwanda Swimming Federation (RSF), in partnership with Rubavu-based Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle Swimming club, the competition will see swimmers cover a distance of 2 kilometers in open waters towards Iwawa Island before making a U-turn to Tam Tam beach.

Isaie Kwizera, the RSF Technical Director, says that the competition is aimed at giving exposure and experience to the participants in open waters.

Fielding two teams, Jeunesse Nouvelle swimming club will have the biggest representation of 24 swimmers in the one-day competition.

Thousand Kilo women canoe and aquatics sports club have the second biggest number (21) of swimmers while CBS of Karongi will field ten participants.

Cercle Sportif de Kigali (7), Rwamagana Canoe (2) and Aquatics Sports club (2) complete the 66-participant line-up for an event that will be overseen by Frenchman Jean-Paul Narse, the head of open water competitions at the International Swimming Federation (FINA).

According to RSF, Narse will also conduct a five-day swimming open water training clinic on December 16-20 at La Palisse Hotel Nyandungu.

The Iwawa-Kivu Open Cross Swimming competition follows the inter-schools swimming competition held at Green Hills Academy last month.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw