The Rwanda National Olympics Committee (Rnoc) is laying strategies of sending a big squad to next year’s Beijing Olympic Games in China. Claver Rwaka, Rnoc’s second vice president in charge of federations, while talking to Times Sport, said they are finding ways of raising enough funds for all federations, which would enable them prepare their athletes adequately. “At the moment, we have yet to come up with the budget (for preparing athletes) but in any case, we shall still require support from good Samaritans and private companies to finance the teams’ operations. “We are planning to send a larger squad than the one that travelled to Athens for the 2004 Games,” Rwaka acknowledged. The administrator also took time to suggest that Rwanda’s main medal hopes, as you would have thought depend on how best the athletics team performs in Beijing. Fresh from the World Championships held in Osaka and the World Road Running championship only last month, Rwaka believes that the athletes would be in better position to put on a ‘healthier’ show in Beijing than three years ago in Athens, Greece. Rwaka challenged the local athletics body to encourage competition in field events besides running, which he said would enhance chances of winning medals. According to tentative arrangements at the National Olympics Committee, Rwanda will be represented in Beijing in five disciplines. The short-listed disciplines include; swimming, boxing, cycling, athletics and Paralympics. You can remember that Rwanda’s sole Olympics medal; a bronze was won by Jean de Dieu Nkundabera (800m) three years ago at the Athens Paralympics, which run concurrently with the main Olympics.Ends
