‘I wanted to emulate Nkundabera’– Muvunyi

THE 400m national champion Hermas Cliff Muvunyi had a vision of emulating his colleague Jean de Dieu Nkundabera prior to winning gold in the Paralympic category of the All Africa Games.“I had a dream of emulating Nkundabera who had made history by winning a medal in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens,” he said.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

THE 400m national champion Hermas Cliff Muvunyi had a vision of emulating his colleague Jean de Dieu Nkundabera prior to winning gold in the Paralympic category of the All Africa Games.

"I had a dream of emulating Nkundabera who had made history by winning a medal in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens,” he said.

"I had intensive training prior to the All Africa Games and I’m glad that my hardwork finally paid off.”

Nkundabera won Rwanda’s first ever bronze medal in a major international event after clocking 1:58.95 in the T46 men’s 800m.

Muvunyi went a notch better in Maputo by securing a silver medal in T46 800m (1:57:70) and a gold medal in Wednesday’s 400m T46 after clocking 50 seconds and 30 micro seconds to beat off stiff challenge from Nigeria, Ivory coast, Kenya and Tunisia.

The National Paralympic committee (NPC) boss Dominique Bizimana yesterday said that Muvunyi, who also qualified for next year’s London Olympic Games in the process, is capable of repeating the heroics in London.

"I don’t have any doubts that Muvunyi will win a medal in next year’s Olympic Games,” a confident Bizimana said.

Muvunyi’s victory follows recent successes that the Paralympic body, (NPC) has recorded.

Early this year, the national Sitball team won the Sitball World Cup n Kampala, Uganda.

Rwanda A beat German 21-20 in a thrilling final while their female counterparts had a much easier task as they thrashed hosts Uganda 33-8.

Ends