Rwanda welcomed in the Olympic Games Village

IT was a colourful ceremony as Rwanda, Egypt, Cambodia and Bermudes were  officially welcomed to the London 2012 Olympic Games Village arena in London, UK, on Tuesday.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Chef de Mission Serge Mwambali leads Team Rwanda to the welcome ceremony which was held in the Londonu2019s Olympic Village on Tuesday. The New Times/Courtesy.

IT was a colourful ceremony as Rwanda, Egypt, Cambodia and Bermudes were  officially welcomed to the London 2012 Olympic Games Village arena in London, UK, on Tuesday.The High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Ernest Rwamucyo and first consular Linda Kalimba attended the ceremony.The function, which lasted for half an hour, is a creation by London 2012, and involved members of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain in association with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.The youth put up an exciting fun performance programme where Team Rwanda became part of the spectacle.Chef de mission Serge Mwambali signed the Truce Wall after taking the podium as the Rwandan flag was being raised and the three stanzas of the national anthem played.Some Rwandans based in London were also part of the audience who came to witness their home team being received at the London 2012 Games Village.Traditionally, team welcome ceremonies take place before the Opening Ceremony of the Games with the aim of engaging the athletes in a fun and interactive experience with a lasting memory.They extend a formal welcome to the athletes and the athletes’ national anthem is played while, at the same time, their national flag is raised.Meanwhile, Rwanda Olympic team captain and Mountain Bike rider Adrien Niyonshuti is expected to join his team mates at the Games Village of the 2012 London Olympic Games at Stratford today ahead of the Men’s cross country mountain bike competition, which will take place a fortnight later.Swimmers Jackson Niyomugabo and Alphonse Agahozo, marathon runner Jean Pierre Mvuyekure, Robert Kajuga and Claudette Mukasakindi (both 10,000m), judo player Yannick Uwase Sekamana are the other athletes who will represent Rwanda in the London Games which officially open tomorrow.