The local athletics federation technical director Adolph Rukenkanya has backed Rwanda’s top female athlete Angeline Nyiransabimana ahead of the forthcoming Olympics Games in Beijing.

Rukenkanya said, "I have no doubt that she will be in Beijing come August. I know that she will beat the qualifying minimums”.

Nyiransabimana is based in Kenya after earning herself an International Olympics Solidarity (IOS) scholarship. Till date, Disi Dieudonne is the only local athlete eligible to compete in the Games.

Meanwhile, the federation’s secretary general Appolinier Munyangoga has confirmed that Rwanda’s representatives at this year’s World cross country in Edinburgh will be selected during this weekend’s inter-club championships.

The federation is looking at six athletes although RNOC’s vice president Pierre Clever Rwaka reckons that Rwanda will have a better chance if she enters more athletes. "We have more chances to win if we take more athletes,” Rwaka emphasized.

Before adding that athletes stand more chances of qualifying for the Games compared to other sporting disciplines.

B-ball eyes city talent
BY TIMOTHY MUVUNYI

Twenty one Level-two basketball coaches have targeted Kigali schools after successfully completing a 10-day coaches’ clinic at Amahoro indoor stadium.

After receiving certificates from Floribert Beya Luboya, a Fiba instructor, the coaches promised to pass on what they had grasped during the clinic.

"We have learnt a lot from the clinic. Now the task at hand is to take on junior teams and groom them into senior players,” Jean de Dieu Bizimana, one of the coaches said. The clinic that was jointly organized by the local basketball federation (Ferwaba) and Fiba-Africa. It evolved around fundamentals of dribbling, passes and lay ups, counter attack and defense, formation of activities, attitude of coaches before matches and construction of teams.

The list of level-two coaches includes Juliette Usanuwera, Florence Uwera, Gervais Munyaneza, Prosper Mihigo, Jean Luc Nkusi, Maurice Gakwaya, Alexandra Ahishakiye, Jean de Dieu Bizimana, Jack Kimenyi, Serge Mwambali, Eric Kalimba, Didier Shema-Maboko, Jean Chrysostome Ngirimana, Olivier Kadamage, Patrick Habiyambere, Fidele Bein-Aime Barute, Moise Mutokambari, Jean Paul Mukasa, Charles Mbazumutimana, Albert Buhake and Yvette Uwanjye Munyaneza.
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