Olympics preps start next week

Rwanda’s squad to this year’s Olympic Games due in Beijing, China from August 8-24 start residential training next week, local Olympic Committee has confirmed.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Rwanda’s squad to this year’s Olympic Games due in Beijing, China from August 8-24 start residential training next week, local Olympic Committee has confirmed.

Rwanda National Olympic Committee (RNOC) Chef de Mission Thierry Ntwali confirmed the development yesterday.

Ntwali said that the residential camp will be held at Red Cross in Kacyiru and eight athletes are expected to be in camp in preparation for this year’s Olympic Games.

The camp which will consist of qualified and yet to qualify athletes will start on Monday.

"All the athletes will join the camp starting on Monday. The camp will be made up of four qualified athletes and four athletes yet to be beat the Minimum qualification standards," Ntwali said.

Rwanda will be represented by three disciplines at the forthcoming Beijing Games which include; Swimming, Athletics and Paralympics.

Boxers failed to make it at the last qualifying event in Windhoek, Namibia while cyclists were denied a wildcard entry.

Only two athletes, Dieudonne Disi(10000m) and Epiphanie Nyirabarame(full marathon) have qualified in the athletics while 2004 Athens Paralympics bronze medalist, Jean de Dieu Nkundabera qualified in the Paralympics category in 800m but wants to secure a slot in the 1500m during this year’s World Paralympics Championship in Manchester City of United Kingdom next month.

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