RWANDA’S REPRESENTATIVES at the ongoing World Karate Federation Championships in Bremen, Germany, suffered early exist in the preliminary round.

Despite a brave showing, Vanily Ngarambe, 21, the only Rwandan player that snatched points from his opponent, was trounced 4-6 by Artur Aslanyan from Armenia on Thursday.

The national team’s vice captain too could not go beyond the first match in his Kumite -67kg category.

Solange Gashagaza Ingabire, 20, was the first take to the Tatami (fighting mat) on Wednesday evening but lost 0-1 to Ivana Comagic (Serbia), in the female Kumite -68kg category.

Emery Espoir Ntungane lost 0-5 to Sofiane Agoudjil (France) in the male kumite (-60kg) category.

Rwanda Karate Federation (Ferwaka) technical director Guy Didier Rurangayire, who travelled with the team, said the competition is at ‘another level’, far from the African tourney or the regional Zone Five Championships.

Latest WKF rankings put France at number one in the world. Serbia is 14th, Armenia 70th, while Rwanda is 83rd.

In Africa, however, Rwanda is a force to reckon with, especially after it moved up 10 places to 83rd in the latest WKF ranking following the national team’s strong showing at the 15th Senior African Karate Championship in Senegal in August.