University of Rwanda (UR) Karate team will this weekend name 10 players who will compete in the forthcoming 9th Eastern Africa inter- University Games to be held in Uganda.

Nearly 3,000 athletes – from 40 universities in 12 countries – are expected to participate in this year’s edition which will be hosted by Uganda Christian University (UCU), in Mukono, from December 17 to 21.

According to the UR Karate team assistant coach Didier Rukorera, "only the best of the best will represent UR in the games.”

"The players are being picked from the best in all UR Colleges in the country just as it will be done in all the other disciplines. We wish to take a full team comprising of seven Kumite players and three Kata players,” Rukorera told Sunday Sport yesterday.

Among others, the UR squad is boosted by Vanily Ngarambe, 21, the captain of the junior national team, who represented Rwanda at the 22nd edition of the World Karate Federation (WKF) Championships in Bremen, Germany, last month.

The head of the sports department at UR, Albert Kayiranga, said that Karate players from the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC) are also being considered in the ongoing selection process at the UR-Huye Campus. In addition to Karate, the UR will also compete in football, basketball, handball, volleyball and athletics. The delegation is scheduled to travel to Uganda on Tuesday.

The previous edition, where Uganda’s Ndejje University emerged overall winner, was hosted by the University of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania.