The Rwanda National Police Volleyball and football teams will face Burundian opponents in respective opening matches of the East African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) Games which kick off in Kigali on Tuesday afternoon, March 21.
Home side Police FC take on Burundi Police at Kigali Pele Stadium on Tuesday at 3pm while the Volleyball teams from the same countries face off at 18:00 at BK Arena.
A confident Christian Hatumimana, who will be coaching Rwanda Police volleyball team throughout the competition, said that he anticipates stiff competition but assured that he has prepared his team accordingly, stressing that the main target is to win the title.
"We had good preparations, the boys are in good form and ready for the competition. Our major target is to reach the quarter-finals, and from that stage, we can focus on each game as it comes,” said Hatumimana.
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Elsewhere, Rwanda’s two Beach Volleyball teams will face Burundi and Kenya respectively in Nyamata while the hosts’ basketball team play Tanzania at Lycée de Kigali.
The week-long interforce tournament will attract participants from eight EAPCCO member countries that will compete in 13 sports disciplines namely football, handball, netball, volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, athletics, darts, Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, boxing and shooting.
Rwanda National Police (RNP) will have at least a representative in each of the sports disciplines. Other countries represented in the games include Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia.
The fourth edition will be held under the theme "Fostering Police cooperation in fighting transnational organized crimes through sports.”
EAPCCO Games will bring together a total of 1,114 athletes from 85 teams including 55 men’s teams and 28 women teams. Host nation Rwanda will be represented by 250 athletes from 12 men teams and six women teams.
They will be competing from seven venues namely BK Arena (Volleyball and Handball), Pele Stadium(Football), Tuza Inn (Beach Volleyball), Notre Dame des Anges (Judo Taekwondo), Hilltop (Boxing) and LDK (Basketball).