THE national karate team is engaged in rigorous preparations ahead of the African Karate championship scheduled for September 3-9 in Rabat, Morocco.The local karate federation technical director Guy Ruranganyire told Times Sport yesterday, “The team has been engaged in preparations at La Palisse Hotel for last couple of days.”“The training is going on smoothly and we hope to pick the best that can represent the country well when the competition gets underway in Morocco,” the official noted.The team has secured financial support from the Ministry of Sports and Culture amounting to Rwf25m but the federation is still soliciting for more funds from the private sector.Among the 20 players in camp, Rwanda will be represented by 15 players competing in both Kata and Kumite categories in the week-long competition which will also attract teams from South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda and hosts Morocco, among others.Two years ago, Rwanda finished 15th out of 23 countries but with early and better preparations, the country hopes to improve on its performance, according to Ruranganyire.
