Rwanda Athletics Federation have named four athletics to compete in the inaugural edition of U-17 Africa Youth Championships scheduled for March 28-31 in Warri, Nigeria.The four athletes include two boys; Eric Turikunkiko (1500m) and Théogene Bigirimana (3000m) and two girls; Salomo Nyirarukundo (3000m) and Venantie Mukandayisenga (1500m). The team, which is under the tutelage of veteran trainer Innocent Rwabuhihi, is expected to leave Kigali on March 26 and return on April 1.The winners will qualify to compete at the World Youth Championship, which will be held in Ukraine in June. According to Rwanda Athletics Federation Secretary General Johnson Rukundo, the team has already started non-residential training at Amahoro stadium.“They train every day in the afternoon after classes since all of them are students,” Rukundo told Times Sport on Tuesday.“We want to give our young athletes every opportunity to compete in international competitions as way of developing and preparing them for the senior level,” he added.Meanwhile, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Nigeria, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, said recently that the Warri state is ready to host a championships that will be remembered for long.“We are ready in Warri to host the first edition of the Africa Youth Athletics Championship. Our stadium, our hotels and hospitals are world-class and ready to host the visitors,” Amaju was quoted in the Nigerian press as saying. Thirty-three countries are expected to take part in the first competition of its kind on the continent.
