After a 10-day training clinic that climaxed Wednesday in Kigali, coaches who took part were urged to do more in a bid to nurture future generations of table tennis players in the country.
Organised by the Rwanda Olympic Committee (ROC), the course started on January 17 and attracted 29 participants including eight women and three Para Table Tennis coaches – table tennis for persons with disabilities.
The training took place under the instruction of Cédric Rouleau, a French expert from the International Table Tennis Association (ITTF).
At its conclusion, Théogène Uwayo, the President of ROC, called upon the trained coaches to make good use of the skills they have been given and strive to promote more players in table tennis.
"We appreciated the training, which was provided by a high-level teacher. It will go a long way producing more table tennis players in the country” he said.
Instructor Rouleau praised the mixed representation of coaches in the training clinic.
"There are former players and players in the national team. There was a representative of the sports association in the schools and it is good to put the table tennis game in the schools. There are also people with disabilities,” he applauded the thoughtful inclusion.
Gervais Munyanziza, a representative of the Ministry of Sports, said it was exciting to have such training for the coaches across the country, as it would promote the sport.
He promised that the ministry would continue to work with various stakeholders like ROC and the Table Tennis Association to further support the coaches.
Révérien Nsabimana, a trainee from Ruhango District, said they are going to start implementing what they have been taught in their home areas.
"As coaches we are all determined to start coaching in different parts of the country where we come from. The federation promised to assist us,” he said.
French instructor Cédric Rouleau applauded the inclusion in selecting participants of the course. / Courtesy
Théogène Uwayo (2nd-L), President of the Rwanda Olympic Committee, attended the ceremony to conclude the course on Wednesday. / Courtesy