Close to 200 players have confirmed their participation at the forthcoming Chinese Ambassador’s Cup, slated for July 23-24 at Stecol Gymnasium in Masoro.
Organized by Rwanda Table Tennis Federation (RTTF) and supported by the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda, the tournament, which is in its third edition, returns after a two-year hiatus following the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted sports competitions worldwide since early 2020.
"We are delighted to have this tournament back again after two years. We look forward to seeing local players not only competing for prizes but also sharing experiences about the Table Tennis game with their colleagues from neighboring countries,” said vice-president Innocent Bahati at a past press conference.
He further noted that the return of the tournament will help the federation identify players with potential to represent the country in international tournaments.
This year’s tournament will attract players – men and women – from four countries including Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and hosts Rwanda.
Participants will be competing in five categories namely the seniors (aged above 18), juniors (aged under 18), U-12s, para (for players with disabilities) and veterans’ category.
Rwanda has the highest representation in the competition in all categories with 172 players while the rest of other participating countries combine for 22 players.
The Chinese Embassy sponsored the tournament to a tune of Rwf10 million that will cater for logistics and prizes for the top performers.
SUN Chenguang, the Political Attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Kigali, said the embassy remains committed to contributing to the development of Table Tennis in Rwanda through sponsoring the annual Ambassador’s Cup tournament, which was initiated in 2018.
"There are over 10 million Chinese people who play Table Tennis in China and we think it’s a good idea to commit our support to the Rwanda Table Tennis Federation in making sure the game grows in the country,” he said.
Winners in the tournament will be awarded cash prizes, on top of trophies.