RWANDA national junior taekwondo team has upped preparations ahead of the upcoming qualifiers for Youth Olympic Games 2018, scheduled for April 6-8 in Hammamet, Tunisia. The qualifiers will precede the WTF World Junior Championships, slated for April 9-13 in the same city—Rwanda will contest in both competitions. The team comprising of three boys and three girls, is in non-residential training as they prepare to debut in the continental and global competitions. In preparations since last month at Amahoro national stadium, under the watchful eye of head coach Eugene Ntawangundi, the six players will enter a one-week residential camp in Muhanga before departing for Tunisia on April 3, three days before the Youth Olympic Games 2018 qualifiers. The three boys are; Jean Paul Sekanyambo, Happy Niyonkuru and Eric Byukusenge while the girls include; Nadege Umurerwa, Adinette Umuhoza and Yvonne Benimana. “The players are doing great in training; they are talented and strong-willed for the two competitions in Tunisia. We are mainly focused on qualifiers for Youth Olympics,” Ntawangundi told Times Sport on Monday. While Rwanda made her maiden appearance in World Junior Championship in 2016, in Canada, the six youngsters will be looking for tickets for what would be Rwanda’s first appearance in Youth Olympics – in Taekwondo. The delegation to Tunisia will be headed by Rwanda Taekwondo Federation president, Placide Bagabo, while former national champion Zura Mushambokazi, is the assistant coach.
