THIRTY TWO clubs have confirmed to compete in this year’s Genocide Memorial Tournament scheduled to run from June 1-2 in Kigali City.

The Rwanda Volleyball Federation chairman Gustave Nkurunziza confirmed the development in an interview with Times Sport yesterday.

"We have 32 teams which have all confirmed to compete in the tournament. We hope to host a good tournament. We have done our best in terms of preparations and we believe the tournament will go as planned,” added Nkurunziza.

Nkurunziza further added the tournament will start on Saturday morning where all group matches will be played before the semi finals as well as final matches on Sunday.

Rwanda will be represented by six teams in the men’s category namely; APR, National University of Rwanda, Lycee de Nyanza, INATEK, National U19 team and Kigali Volleyball Club.

Uganda’s Kampala Amateur Volleyball club, Sky and Nemo Stars, Kampala City Council, Nkumba University, Sport S, Jeshi [Tanzania], GSU and Administration Police Kenya [all from Kenya] and Garde Présidentielles [Congo Brazzaville] are the other foreign teams which will compete in the men’s category.

The women category will attract home teams like APR, Rwanda Revenue Authority, Ruhango women Volleyball Club and Lycee de Nyanza.

Uganda’s Kampala City Council, Kampala Amateur Volleyball club, Nemo Stars, and Ndejje University, Rukizo, Muzinga, Bujumbura Uwezo wa Ndani and Les As [all from Burundi], Jeshi [Tanzania], Kenya Pipeline and Nairobi Water [Kenya] will spice up the women category.

Top Premier division Club in France, Sporting Club de l’Ouest, Tunisia U23 men and women have ruled out participation citing financial constraints.

The matches will be played at Petit Stade, Kimisagara, Rafiki, KIST and Primature courts. 

The two-day tournament which is sponsored by the Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), will be held in remembrance of 46 (known) members of the volleyball fraternity who include players, coaches, and administrators as well as other Rwandans who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis.

Since 1995, FRVB is one of the federations that has organised annual Genocide memorial tournaments in honour of the victims.

APR is defending champion in the men’s category while Rwanda Revenue is defending champion of the previous event in the women’s category tournament.