Rwanda Revenue Authority women volleyball club will be hoping to live up to their pre-tournament billing as the favourites to win this year’s Genocide Memorial Tournament which kicks off on Saturday in Kigali.

According to RRA captain, Judith Hakizimana, the reigning local league champions are seeking to make amends for losing in the final last year following defeat to Ugandan side Sport S 3-2 at Amahoro Indoor Stadium.

The matches will be played at Amahoro Indoor Stadium, National Paralympic Committee gymnasium, Kimisagara, Rafiki, University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology, and Primature courts.

"Preparations have been going on well; we need to win the tournament this year. We know the teams we are competing with are strong but we will do our best to first get out of the group,” she said.

RRA won the event in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 before losing in the final last year to Sport S.

This year’s tournament will bring together 23 teams nominated by their respective national federations from Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and DR Congo.

Men’s teams include KAVC, Sport S, Nemo Stars, Sky and KCCA, from Uganda, and Kabiyet Township, from Kenya, while eight teams from Rwanda are Gisagara, Kirehe, IPRC- South, APR, Rwanda Energy Group (REG), University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB), University of Kibungo and Kigali Volleyball Club in the men’s category.

In the women category has KAVC, Sport S, Nemo Stars, KCCA from Uganda, Espoir VC from Congo and St Augustin Muruto from Kenya while Rwanda will be represented by RRA and APR.

The annual tournament is staged to remember local volleyball players, coaches, administrators, fans as well as other Rwandans who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

It is sponsored by the Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG). UNIK are defending champion in the men’s category.

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