RWANDA’S national table tennis and swimming teams start their preliminary round action this morning at the 2014 Africa Youth Games, which kicked off yesterday in Gaborone.

The table tennis squad led by François Regis Ishimwe and Assoumpta Isimbi Kamanda as well two-time Olympian swimmer Alphonsine Agahozo will be in action at 10am at the Botswana National Youth Centre and at the University of Botswana swimming pool respectively.

Apart from Agahozo, the table tennis duo has had a chance to train on the same facility that will be used for the competition and they will be gearing up for a bright start.

Ishimwe told Times Sport that they are ready to stage a good show.

"We came prepared for the games and we feel ready to go as far as we possibly can,” Ishimwe said.

Agahozo arrived in Gaborone yesterday morning having missed Tuesday’s trip after failure to produce a yellow fever vaccination card.

"I hope to be ready for the preliminary round tomorrow (today) despite being tired, and I hope to have enough rest this evening (Thursday) and head straight into competition with a determined mind,” added Agahozo.

The 17-year-old had light training in the evening yesterday but she will have to shrug off the fatigue and head straight into the waters for the 50m freestyle medal quest. 

Swimming along with boxing had earlier been scrapped off the delegation following their respective federations’ failure to regularize their legal status.

However, after addressing the issue, they were each allowed one spot for their athletes to take part in the Games. 

Opening ceremony

Meanwhile, the games kick off officially today at the Botswana National Stadium with team captains James Sugira and Belyse Irakoze hoisting the Rwandan flag at the opening ceremony.

The Games will see athletes competing in 21 sports disciplines including athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, fencing, football, golf, judo, karate, netball, rowing, rugby, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball and weightlifting.

The competition will take place in 13 venues across the Botswana capital.

The Opening and Closing ceremonies, along with rugby and football events, will take place at the National Stadium, while the University of Botswana Stadium and University of Botswana Swimming Pool will host the athletics and swimming competitions respectively.

The Gaborone Golf Club and Gaborone Dam will stage golf and the canoeing and rowing events respectively, with table tennis and basketball set for the Botswana National Youth Centre.

This year will be the second edition of the Games following the inaugural event held in Rabat, Morocco, in 2010. In March this year Algiers, Algeria was announced as the hosts for the 2018 African Youth Games.