Rwanda national junior taekwondo team left for Tunisia ahead of the forthcoming qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games 2018, scheduled for April 6-8 in Hammamet, Tunisia.

 

The qualifiers will precede the WTF World Junior Championships, slated for April 9-13 in the same city. Rwanda will contest in both competitions.

 

Prior to traveling, the team had been in intensive preparations at Amahoro National Stadium for over four weeks, and head coach Ntawungundi is confident his boys and girls will put up an impressive showing in the North African country.

 

Comprised of three boys and three girls, the six-member team is coached by Eugene Ntawangundi, who will be assisted by Zura Mushambokazi.

 

The boys are Jean Paul Sekanyambo, Happy Niyonkuru and Eric Byukusenge, while the girls include Nadege Umurerwa, Adinette Umuhoza and Yvonne Benimana.

 

"We have had good preparations for the two competitions and the youngsters are in good form. Our primary target is to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games,” Ntawangundi told Times Sport yesterday.

 

Rwanda made her maiden appearance in World Junior Championship in 2016 in Canada, but no Rwandan taekwondo player has ever been to the Youth Olympics.

 

The delegation to Tunisia is headed by Rwanda Taekwondo Federation (RTF) president, Placide Bagabo. He arrived in Tunisia ahead of the team.