Making their first appearance, the national taekwondo team begin their pursuit for medals at this year’s World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Junior Championships that gets underway today and will run through November 20 in Burnaby City in British Columbia, Canada.

The team, comprised of three — two boys and one girl and accompanied by head coach Allan Bagire and RTF Secretary general Placide Bagabo touched base in Burnaby on Monday.

Speaking to Times Sport on Tuesday, Bagire said, "We arrived safely and have already had some training, and we hope it is going to be a great week for Rwandan Taekwondo.” He noted that the main aim is to use the competition to gain experience before competing in the qualifiers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 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 provides an occasion for participating youths to create ties with peers from around the world.

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