The national women sitting volleyball team is undergoing intensive training sessions as they prepare to represent Rwanda in the Paralympic Games scheduled from August 24 to September 5 in Tokyo, Japan.
The team, currently coached by Jean Marie Vianney Nsengiyumva, has been training since March as they look to make an impressive performance in their second appearance in the Paralympic Games.
At the very beginning, players were not allowed to meet for training sessions as a team. Instead, each player was supposed to train individually as per the exercises recommended by their coach via the team’s WhatsApp group.
The coach has been monitoring the progress of their exercises on daily basis.
Nsengiyumva said that his players are now well-positioned in terms of strength and technique.
"Our players have not played for a long time until we resumed training in March. It is a good thing, because it is not often in Rwanda that the team starts preparing in less than 5 months for such a world sporting event,” he said.
Nsengiyumva, however, claims his side continues to struggle for friendly matches to test how far they have gone preparing for the Paralympic Games.
The tactician fears they could go into the Paralympic Games without a single game to test the level of performance of his team.
"We are unlikely to secure a friendly match when we arrive in Tokyo because teams do not like to play against each other in friendly matches until they know which teams they will face in the Paralympic Games,” he claimed.
The national team is scheduled to have arrived in Tokyo by August 15 before they play the first match on August 27.
Rwanda qualified for the Paralympic games in women’s sitting volleyball, for a second consecutive time, in 2019 after beating Egypt in Kigali to retain the African Championship.
National team squad:
Claudine Bazubagira, Carine Kwizera, Liliane Mukobwankawe, Alice Musabyemariya, Sandrine Nyirambarushimana, Solange Nyiraneza, Agnès Nyiranshimiyimana, Claudine Murebwayire, Clementine Umutoni, Hosiana Mulisa, Chantal Mutuyimana and Louise Mugirwanake.