The national beach volleyball teams left the country early morning on Sunday with high ambitions for this year’s African championships, which run from April 21 to 29 in Nigeria.

The two pairs, one in each gender category, departed Kigali at 1:45am aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight. 

The ladies duo of Charlotte Nzayisenga and Benitha Mukandayisenga is on tough mission to retain the title Rwanda won at the biennial competition’s 2017 edition, while their male counterparts seek to defy odds for a ticket to this year’s World Championships.

The men’s pair includes Olivier Ntagengwa and Patrick Kavalo Akumuntu who finished third at the 2017 championship in Mozambique.

Rwanda is ranked top in women’s beach volleyball in Africa, and third in men’s category.

According to head coach Paul Bitok, both teams have been well-prepared for the continental showpiece and winning gold medals in both categories is not an ‘overambitious’ target.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com