Sept. 16 Men’s 400m T-46 semi-final 3:30pmMen’s 1500m T-46 final 11:06pm Rwanda Paralympics team touched base in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Thursday evening ahead of the 2016 Paralympic Games slated for September 7-18. The team led by Eric Karasira as Chef de Mission, includes the national women sitting volleyball team (12 players) that will represent the African continent and the country’s most decorated Paralympian, Hermas Muvunyi, who will compete in the Men’s 400m and 1500m T-46 events. The team is currently residing at Barra da Tijuca Village where the games will be hosted. The 15th Paralympic Games are the first Summer Paralympics to be held Latin or South America and the first to be held during the host city’s wintertime. Barra da Tijuca is also the second Southern Hemisphere city to host the Summer Games, after the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. The games are expected to attract a total of 4500 athletes from 176 nations competing in 528 different disciplines in 23 sports. The sitting volleyball team under the guidance of Dutchman Peter Karreman, was drawn in Pool B alongside the top two ranked teams in the world, China (1) and USA (2) as well as Iran. Debutants Rwanda will kick off their campaign against defending champions China on September 10 at 3pm Rwandan time before facing Iran on September 12 and USA two days later at the Riocentro Pavilion 6. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Hosts and world No.4 side Brazil are in Pool A together with Ukraine, which is ranked number 3 in the current world rankings. Paravolley American Games bronze medalists Canada and Russia make-up the rest of the Pool. Meanwhile, Team Rwanda captain Muvunyi, who finished fifth in the men’s 400m T46 at 2012 London Paralympics, will get on track on September 16, competing in 400m semi-finals before racing in 1500m final, on the same day at João Havelange Stadium. Austrian Gunther Matzinger is the defending champion in 400m while Abraham Tarbei from Kenya won the 1500m gold medal in 2012. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
