Paralympics teams shape-up for K’la tourney

The Seatball and cricket Paralympics teams have stepped up preparations t for the upcoming three-nation tournament due to take place on September 25-29 in Kampala, Uganda.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The Seatball and cricket Paralympics teams have stepped up preparations t for the upcoming three-nation tournament due to take place on September 25-29 in Kampala, Uganda.

Rwanda and Burundi have been invited by their Ugandan counterparts to participate in the Kampala competition.

And according to the National Paralympics Committee [NPC] Secretary General Celestin Nzeyimana, the Kampala event will be the first international appearance of the cricket team.

Because Rwanda’s Seatball team ranked third in the world, Nzeyimana believe that it’s has the higher chance of winning a medal in Kampala.

"We are optimistic that the Seatball team will win a medal because the country is ranked third in the world,” he noted.

However, the Secretary General acknowledged that the cricket team has much to do in preparation for the event because it is a game the NPC has just started and so the players are yet to master all the tactics, especially the basic ones.

Reigning Seatball national champions, Intwari are will represent the country in the event but the cricket team is yet to be named.

Nzeyimana further noted that, as NPC, they have full confidence in the team’s [Intwari] to do well in the Kampala event, because they are currently participating in the Kigali Jubilee Cup matches.

He said that they are planning to start up several cricket clubs, after the event, in order to take the game down to the grassroots level.

Because of the lack of enough specialised players, Nzeyimana disclosed that some of the Seatball players who also posses cricket skills will play in both games.

Ends