Sitting Volley Pool B

United States v Rwanda, 07:00 am (Kigali Time) at Makuhari Messe Hall

Athletics

Men's 1500m, 10: 28 AM (Kigali Times), Olympic Stadium

Athlete Hermas Muvunyi and Sitting Volleyball are starting their quest for a medals at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Paralympics on Saturday, August 28.

The National Sitting Volleyball team locks horns with the United States in the opening game of the Para volley tournament scheduled to take place at Makuhari Messe Hall while middle distance runner Muvunyi is expected to compete in the T46 Men’s 1500m race at Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

Muvunyi, who was Rwanda’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics held on Tuesday, August 24,  qualified for Tokyo after striking gold in the Men’s 1500m during the 2019 Meeting International de Marrakech, in Morocco.

The 32-year-old has been training in the streets close to the Tokyo Olympic City to in a bid to challenge the world's best ahead of the race.

However, he is skeptical about how he will perform after claiming that he was not able to get competitions which would help him prepare for the Paralympics.

"I didn’t get any competitions to prepare for the Paralympics because of the pandemic. I have been training as normal, I tried as I could. The federation, my club APR Athletics and my family supported me during this journey,” he told Times Sport.

Muvunyi is the most decorated Paralympic player in Rwanda. He won gold medals in the T46 men’s 400 category at the 2011 Maputo All-Africa Games and the 2015 Brazzaville All-Africa Games.

He also won a gold medal at the 2013 Jeux de la Francophonie and struck bronze at the Marrakech Meeting Competition, after clocking 51 seconds and three microseconds in the T46 men’s 400m category.

Meanwhile Rwanda, who are drawn in Pool B alongside the United States, China and Russia, start their quest for a medal on Saturday, August 28, when they lock horns  with the United States in the opening game which takes place inside Makuhari Messe Hall.

They will play their second game against Russia on Monday, August 30, before facing China in the final group game on September 1.

Rwanda qualified for the Tokyo Paralympic Games in the women’s sitting volleyball for the second consecutive time in 2019 after beating Egypt in Kigali to retain the African Championship.

They became the first Sub-Saharan women’s team in history, in any sport, to compete at the Paralympic Games at Rio 2016. They eventually finished eighth following defeat by Canada.