Rwanda has been endorsed to host this year’s Africa Sitting Volleyball Championships scheduled for July 19-29 in Kigali. The National Paralympic Committee (NPC), president Celestin Nzeyimana has said.

The ten-day continental meet will also serve as qualifiers for the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sixteen national teams, eight men’s and eight women’s respectively will be vying for a single ticket available for each of the two categories.

"It’s official now; we will be hosting the Africa Sitting Volleyball Championships in July. Our target is claiming both qualification tickets in men and women’s categories, it is a tough call as we will be facing Africa’s giants, and that’s why we have started early preps,” NPC technical Director Eric Karasira said.

He also said that although Rwanda is hosting the Africa Sitting Volleyball Championships for the first time, he expects home advantage to provide extra motivation to the national teams.

Since February this year, both men and women teams have been undergoing residential boot camp for intensified training and Karasira believes hard work will pay off.

In the meantime, the ongoing national sitball championships will go into semi-finals this weekend, all semi-final matches in men and women’s leagues take place in Rubavu district on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

The National men’s sitting volleyball team qualified for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London and since 2013, NPC’s major target was sending both men and women’s team to the Rio Games.

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