The national men’s senior volleyball team will today (Friday) start a residential camp at Golden Tulip Hotel in Nyamata ahead of this year’s CAVB Zone V Championships which will be hosted in Kigali from July 21-26.

The biennial event is set to attract a total of 12 countries including hosts Rwanda, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Burundi, Tanzania and Somalia. The games will be staged at Amahoro indoor stadium and it will be the third time in a row that Rwanda will be hosting the regional event after the 2013 and 2015 editions.

"Preparations started some time back but they were nonresidential because we want to have a strong team, however on Friday, the team will join residential camp to intensify preparations,” said Rwanda Volleyball Federation (FRVB) Executive Secretary Christian Hatumimana

The team will be under head coach Paul Bitok and will be assisted by Fidele Nyirimana and Elie Mutabazi.

Meanwhile, the women team will start the training on July 10 before joining a residential camp on July 15 for this particular championship that will however be hosted from July 27 to August, 2 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Men Squad:

Setters: Ivan Mahoro Nsabimana, Jacob Rene Cyusa and Helve Kagimbura. Center players: Fred Musoni, Pracide Madison Sibomana, Pierre Marshal Kwizera and Guillaume Irakarama.

Libero: Emile ‘Dada’ Kamili and Bosco Mbonyijuru Mutabazi.

Right attackers: Laurence ‘Guma’ Yakan, Samuel ‘Tyson’ Niyomugabo, Yves Mutabazi and Nelson Muranngwa. Left attackers: Christophe Mukunzi, Olivier Ntagengwa, Patrick Kavalo Akumuntu and Flavien Ndamukunda.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw