THE CHAIRMAN of Rwanda National Olympic Committee has tipped athletes to sweep medals at this year’s Africa Youth Games scheduled to run from May 22-31 in Gabarone, Botswana.

Robert Bayigamba made the remarks after handing the national flag to the team captain James Sugira at the Amahoro stadium before the team departed for Gaborone yesterday.

He said he was confident team Rwanda will pick medals at the event.

"We believe that our athletes will come back with some medals,” Bayigamba said before adding that government has spent USD$60,000 (Rwf41m) on the Rwandan delegation to the games.

Team Rwanda includes four runners, four basketball players, one boxer, six riders, one fencing player, one golfer, four Karate players, two tennis players, one swimmer, two table tennis players, four for Taekwondo and eleven volleyball players. The team has twenty six female athletes and 14 males.

The officials include 16 coaches, six Rwanda National Olympic Committee officials, team doctor, physiotherapist, two referees and one journalist.