Three national volleyball league teams have confirmed their participation at the maiden edition of the women’s preseason tournament, which is scheduled for January 12-13. The four-day tournament will be held at Amahoro Stadium. The three teams that have already registered include six-time reigning champions Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), APR and Ruhango as well as the organizers and soon-to-be league debutants – the University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB). The versity side were established in October and have already been approved by the local volleyball general assembly as the latest entrants to the 2018/2019 season, along with Huye-based IPRC- South and University of Rwanda’s College of Arts and Social Sciences. According to UTB team manager, Philbert Mucyo, more teams are expected to register before the January 7 deadline. “With time – as we draw closer to January 7 – more teams will register, so far only four teams have registered.” Ahead of the women’s volleyball top tier league, which will start on January 18, UTB have completed the signing of setters Yvette Igihozo and Belise Dusabe, centre Louise Muhoza, left-attacker Benitha Mukandayisenga and Uganda-born Sharon Amito. The 2019 women’s volleyball league will be comprised of ten teams namely; RRA, APR, KVC, Ruhango VC, Saint Aloys Rwamagana, IPRC- Kigali, Saint Joseph Kabgayi, UTB, IPRC-South and UR- Huye. The Kicukiro-based side, newly formed UTB, have warned usual big guns; RRA, Ruhango and APR that: “We won’t start slow in the league, we have all it takes to win the league on our maiden attempt and that’s what we will be challenging for.” editorial@newtimes.co.rw
