The national athletics team, which is preparing to represent Rwanda at the forthcoming 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships slated for March 26 in Uganda, is set to hold their final training camp in the Ugandan capital Kampala, according to Rwanda Athletics Federation (RAF).

On Wednesday, RAF will conduct the final selection for the team that will take part in the championships as they bid to win the country’s first ever medal at the biennial event.

The selection will be done during the second round of the 2017 national cross-country championships that will be held at Kicukiro ground.

RAF president Jean Paul Munyandamutsa said the selected athletes will later head to Kampala for their final training camp.

"After the selection, the athletes will immediately go for a training camp in Uganda, although we are yet to determine where exactly they will camp, but of course the place has to be near where the main event will take place. We hope to have sorted out everything before the final selection,” said Munyandamutsa.

The one-day IAAF World Cross Country Championships will be hosted at the Kololo Independence ceremonial ground in Kampala.

Rwanda will be represented by 10 athletes, competing in two categories namely; the senior men’s team that comprises six athletes and a mixed relay team of two male and two female.

Last month, Rwandan athletes were invited by Uganda for the pre-2017 Cross Country Championships race, which was aimed at giving athletes of both countries a test of the course for the main event.

Athletes that took part in that race included; James Sugira, Primien Maniramfasha, Alexis Nizeyimana and Jean Marie Vianney Myasiro, who are expected to make the final team next week.

Sugira was Rwanda’s best performer, coming in the 15th place clocking 30:37:30 while Manirafasha finished 21st after using 30:59:30. Nizeyimana finished 23rd posting 31:09:31, while Myasiro came in the 29th place in a time of 31:26:31.

Rwanda will be looking to improve on its performances after it ranked eighth during the 2015 edition held in the Chinese city of Guiyang.

In Guiyang, Rwanda was represented by four athletes; Pontien Ntawuyirushintege, Jean Marie Uwajeneza, Felicien Muhitira and Eric Sebahire.

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