Rwanda runners start medal quest in Singapore

Today Girls 3000m qualification (9:20am)Boys 3000m qualification (9:45am) RWANDA’s pair of runners, Potien Ntawuyirushintege and Jacqueline Murekatete start their medal search at the Singapore Youth Olympic Games this morning. The inaugural Youth Games begun over the weekend. Murekatete will be the first Rwandan athlete to take to the stage at 9.20am competing in the 3000m qualifying round where the best eight runners with a good time will proceed to the final round. Murekatete faces regional pressure mounted by Kenyan Gladys Chesir, Sule Nema from Tanzania, Devote Uwamahoro from Burundi and Eritrea’s Sawrawit Mengisteb.In the men’s category, Ntawuyirushintege, who will competing in his second international competition this year following a disappointing display in the African athletics Championship held in Nairobi last month, where he competed in 800m, will be the next in the 3000m qualifying round at 9.45am Rwandan time. The 17-year-old athlete also faces stiff challenge from Ethiopia’s Jebesa Fekru, Uganda’s Alex Cherop, Kenya’s Josphat Kiprop, and Eritrea’s Osman Abrar. The men’s 30000m category attracted 23 athletes while the women category has 20 athletes respectively.According to our sources at the Games, Rwanda’s sole boxer, Haziza Matusi is going through rigorously training with his coach Gashugi Kananura before the boxing competition starts on Saturday. Meanwhile, Rwanda’s swimmer Marie Claudine Iradukunda will start her medal expedition on Thursday when she competes in the women’s 50m freestyle. She has been placed in the third heat which comprises of Tanzania’s Mariam Mohammed, Bahamas’s Bria Deveaux, Jani Reni from Albanis and Josephine Blamo. Ends

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Rwanda runners start medal quest in Singapore