FORTY NINE athletes have been selected to start preparations ahead of representing Rwanda in the second edition of the African Youth Games scheduled to be held in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana from May 22-31.

The team which is dominated by female athletes (30) and 19 males, will compete in 12 sports disciplines including athletics, basketball (3 on 3), boxing, cycling, fencing, golf, karate, lawn tennis, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.

This is the first time that Rwanda will take part in the youth games which have set a platform for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) that will be held in Nanjing, China.

The Gaborone event is a qualifying platform for athletics and swimming to the Youth Olympic Games scheduled to run from August 16 to 28.

The head of delegation, Rwanda Olympic Committee and Sports’ second vice president Elie Manirarora said, "We need medals. This is also the way forward towards the Rio Olympics in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020. This is how we are going to raise ‘Generations of Champions’.”