Rwandan girls are Africa volleyball champions

Rwanda girls’ beach volleyball team has lifted the continental title and qualified for this year’s Youth Olympic Games that will be held in Nanjing, China from August 16 to 28. The pair of Seraphine Mukantambara and Lea Uwimbabazi won the title after defeating Namibia 2-1 yesterday. In the group stages, Rwanda beat Mauritius 2-1 (21-18, 21-13) and lost to Namibia 0-2 (23-21). In the semifinals, Paul Bitok’s girls beat host nation, Ghana 2-0 (21-9 and 21-14) to face Namibia in the final yesterday. Meanwhile, the boys’ team of Justin Munyinya and Sylvestre Ndayisaba are still looking for qualification after beating 2-1 Congo Brazzaville (21-10, 16-21, 15-13). They lost 1-2 to Nigeria (18-21, 21-16 and 14-16) in the opening two games. The pair yesterday beat Sierra Leone 2-1 and improved their chances of qualifying for Olympic Games, but must beat Namibia in their last game if they are to join their sisters in Nanjing. The best three teams in each category qualify for the Youth Olympic Games. It is the first time beach volleyball has been included in the Youth Olympics after a debuted in the first edition in Singapore in 2010.