With 23 days left before the Beijing Olympic Games kick off, the Rwandan team to the international multi-sport event set for August 8-24 in China is unlikely to do residential training. The development was confirmed yesterday at Amahoro stadium when THE technical meeting between the National Olympic Committee (RNOC) and coaches flopped after the later failed to show up. The athletes have been undergoing non-residential training since late May and the proposed meeting was aimed at finding a final resolution on the issue of residential training but the absence of the two coaches Innocent Rwabuhihi (athletics) and Eric Karasira (Paralympics) has left the matter hanging. Only Richard Ramira Lema, the swimming coach was present to attend the proposed meeting. The Rwandan team Chef de Mission Thierry Ntwali announced to Times Sport that they’re planning to call another meeting next week to find a solution to the issue before athletes head to Beijing. “All coaches were informed but the pair responded with lame excuses. We have been forced to shift the technical meeting to next week,” Ntwali said. Initially, the local Olympic team held a residential training for athletes in early May at Red Cross in Kacyiru but the camp came to a halt after three weeks. No genuine reason was given for stopping the camp. Rwanda goes to this year’s Olympic Games with only four athletes, including two runners and two swimmers. Dieudonne Disi (10.000m), Epiphanie Nyirabarame (marathon), Pamela Girimbabazi and Jackson Niyomugabo (swimming) are the only athletics who have qualified for the Games. The 2004 Athens bronze medalist Jean de Dieu Nkundabera (800m) is the lone athlete who will take part in the Paralympics Games due from September 6-17 in Beijing. Ends
