The National Taekwondo team bagged five medals at this year’s 14th edition of the Taekwondo African Senior Championship that ended on Sunday in the Egyptian city of Port Said.

Making their debut appearance at the continent’s biggest multinational championship that had attracted a total of 25 countries, Rwanda entered a total of nine players, including three girls and six boys, and managed to claim a total of five bronze medals from the two categories; Kyrogi 2 medals and Poomse 3 medals that they competed in respectively

Aline Ndacyayisenga who competes in the U-63kg category won the first bronze medal on Saturday in Kyrogi before Delphine Uwababyeyi who features in the U-46kg won another bronze on Sunday in the same category.

Emmanuel Birushya who competed in the Poomse category also won another bronze medal before partnering with Zura Mushambokazi in this category to win a bronze medal each to make a total of five medals.

"This is a great achievement for us (Rwanda), this was our first appearance at this continental showpiece and managing to win five medals is a great indication of how far we have gone with development of the sport,” said head Coach Allan Irene Bagire in a phone interview with Times Sport yesterday.

"We hope to even do more if we can get more support from the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC) because so far the federation caters for everything,” he added.

The achievement ranks Rwanda first in the East Africa region, second in the sub-Saharan Africa behind Cote d’Ivoire and sixth on the continental level after Egypt, morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Ivory Coast.

The team is expected to arrive back in the country today afternoon.

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