APR returns to Africa women’s club championships

WITH the addition of Dorcas Ndasaba and Claudette Habimana from league champions Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), the APR women’s volleyball team will be a hard nut to crack at this year’s Africa women’s club championship due May 10-19 in Nairobi, Kenya. “We have been training since January and have now intensified our preparations to four times a week so I can officially say that we are ready for Nairobi,” pointed out the head coach Viateur Sibomana. Sibomana further added that APR did not take part in last year’s edition because the club had not planned for the event contrary to this year’s event whose preparations started four months ago. Experienced Margaret Indakata and Carol Mutoni Atim are expected to also boost the army side which finished fifth in the 2010 edition in Mauritius and will be aiming to make a better impression in Nairobi. With a target of finishing among the final four, the traditional powerhouse side has a pedigree to match their rivals from hosts Kenya-Prisons and Pipeline and stubborn North African opponents like Algeria’s Bejaia and Cameroon’s FAP. Rwanda’s only representatives at last year’s edition, the tax collectors finished eighth after they failed to play against Algeria’s Bejaia for the seventh position as the Genocide commemoration week had commenced back home. According to Sibomana, his charges will play two warm-up games against archrivals RRA and the volleyball veterans and the two games should put them in a tournament mood before they head off to Nairobi. Meanwhile, the Kenya Volleyball Federation general secretary Evans Wasike confirmed that over 24 teams have confirmed participation at this year’s edition of the continental games at the newly refurbished Kasarani stadium in Nairobi.

Sports

APR returns to Africa women’s club championships