Three teams are representing Rwanda in the 2023 African Workers Sports Championships taking place in Banjul, Gambia from Thursday, March 9-12.
Organized by the Organisation of African Worker Sports Association, the championship attracted teams from 20 countries where they are competing in six disciplines namely Football (11 aside), Football (6 aside), Volleyball (male and female), Handball, Petanque (Bull) and Walk for Health.
Rwanda is represented by three teams including Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) in women Volleyball, Water and Energy and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) in men Volleyball and Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) in men’s Football tournament.
The teams qualified for the continental tournament after they were crowned champions in domestic workers’ tournaments in their respective categories.
They are currently camping at Assaraya Atlantic Hotel near the Gambian President’s residence.
Thierry Mpamo, the President of Rwanda Association for the Promotion of Sports among Workers traveled with the teams ahead of the African Workers Championships.
He told Times Sport that the teams are ready to give their all and represent the country well at the tournament.
"Our objective as Rwanda is to win a trophy. At least one team, if not the three, can do it and make our country proud,” Mpamo said in an interview.
"It is not easy to compete with 20 countries with young and experienced players. But we see it as a
possible mission. Our men and women are ready and focused... what we want is [winning] a trophy," he added.
Rwanda is making a third appearance in the African Workers
Championship. For the first time, Equity Bank and National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) represented the country in 2019 while the NISR Football team returned to the tournament when the 2022 edition took place in Algeria.