The national taekwondo team has flown out of the country to Canada ahead of their debut at this year’s World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Junior Championships, scheduled for November 16-20 in Burnaby City of British Columbia. 

Rwanda will be represented by a team of three — two boys and one girl – that has been in a non-residential camp at Amohoro National Stadium in Kigali for the last couple of weeks.

The trio, together with coach Allan Irene Bagire and team manager Placide Bagabo, who is also the Rwanda Taekwondo Federation secretary general, left the country yesterday aboard Ethiopian Airways. Speaking to Saturday Sport before departure, Bagire said his team will be focusing to use the platform to gain more international experience as seek to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

"The mood is high among the players and we aim to put up a good showing; however, our main aim is to use this competition to gain experience before we compete in the qualifiers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, these are the same players we shall use,” he said.

The three players that will carry Rwanda’s flag include Vincent Munyakazi, 17 (U-63kg), Benon Kayitare, 17 (U-51kg) and Laisa Umurerwa, 16, who will compete in the U-49kg category.The international biennial event attracts all member national associations and serves as an opportunity for U-18 sides to display their skills, as well as provide an occasion for participating youths to create ties with peers from around the world.

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