RWANDA’s women sitting volleyball team will have two weeks of high level preparations in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa in a November following the team’s recent qualification for the Tokyo Paralympic Games next year. However, the training will rather be for the inaugural African Paralympic Games due in January 2020, in Morocco. While in Japan, the team will also engage in the women’s World Super 6 tournament, which brings into competition six of the world’s best female sitting volleyball teams. Rwanda will represent Africa in the week-long showpiece. The tournament is scheduled for November 12-17. Speaking to Times Sport on Thursday, Jean-Baptiste Murema – president of the National Paralympic Committee – revealed that the camp in Japan is courtesy of the newly established partnership between the Okinawa Prefecture and his institution. Rwanda secured a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics last week after beating Egypt to retain the African Championships at Amahoro Stadium. At the Africa Paralympic Games, Rwanda will field both the male and women teams, but only the latter will compete at the Paralympic Games in Japan. Rwanda will be making its consecutive appearance in the Paralympics, in women’s sitting volleyball, while their men’s team counterparts last took part in the quadrennial event at the 2012 London Games. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
