AFTER a cracking season last year where the APR men’s volleyball team won a hat trick of titles (National Coca Cola championship, Rutsindura Memorial and Coupe du Rwanda), the team is now eager to weigh their potential in the Africa men Club Volleyball championship which gets underway this morning in Cairo, Egypt.

The team, which flew out on Tuesday is expected to start their quest today although its opponents were still unknown by press time.

"They arrived safely and will start their campaign tomorrow (today). They will know their opponents later this evening,” the executive secretary of the local volleyball governing body (FRVB) Gertrude Kubwimana said.

Despite their dominance in the region, Rwandan clubs don’t have a very good record in this championship.

Rwanda National University (UNR) still stands out as Rwanda’s top performer after finishing 7th in 2007.

However, ahead of APR’s departure on Tuesday, the team’s assistant coach Paul Bitok had set ambitions of getting to the semi-finals.

"I know that past results are not in our favour but the team has had fairly good preparations and is prepared to make a challenge,” the Kenyan coach said.

A record 26 clubs have confirmed participation in the tournament which also counts as the qualifier for the 2009 World Club Championship in Serbia.

Since the championship’s inception back in 1980, North African clubs have dominated proceedings with Egypt’s Al Ahly leading the pack with eight titles; Tunisia’s Club Sportif Sfaxien and Club Africain follow with five and four titles respectively.

Defending champions Zamalek and Esperance Tunis have three titles each while Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) and Mouloudia of Algeria have two titles apiece.

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