The Rwanda Chess Federation has announced the final squads in both the men and women categories that will represent the country at the 2022 Chess Olympiad scheduled to take place from July 27 to August 10 in Chennai, India. Team Rwanda will be represented by two teams of five players in both categories. The players made it to the final rosters after they were selected based on their performances during the just-concluded Chess competition held over the weekend. The men’s roster includes Anastase Barajiginywa, Goyal K, Lionel Nditabiriye, Maranathe Nduwayesu and Hassani Murenzi while the women’s roster comprises five female players including Amanda Ngwinondebe, Joana Mbabazi, Bethlehem Ikirezi and Nadine Umutoni. In total, 10 players were selected from 22 who took part in the competition that the Chess Federation organized for national team selection purposes. The team will depart Kigali for the forthcoming Chess Olympiad on July 27. The selected rosters have now set their eyes on making the best out of the forthcoming Genocide Memorial tournament slated from June 11-12, as part of their intensive preparations for the Chess Olympiad. Team Rwanda will play the likes of Uganda, Afghanistan, Kenya, South Sudan and Burundi, among other countries expected to take part at the Memorial tournament, as players from both rosters look forward to the tests from countries to gain enough package that will help them impress at the Chess Olympiad. Ben Tom Zimurinda, the President of Rwanda Chess Federation told Times Sport that the performance that Team Rwanda will show at the Memorial tournament will give the players a picture of their level of performance prior to the Chess Olympiad. “The performances they showed during this competition are so promising and we hope, with more preparation through this coming memorial Chess tournament, they will carry enough package that can help them impress at the Chess Olympiad,” Zimurinda said.
