Taekwondo eye medal in Mexico World Champs

The national taekwondo team has arrived in Mexico ahead of the XXI World Taekwondo Championships slated for July 15-21 in Puebla town.

Monday, July 08, 2013

The national taekwondo team has arrived in Mexico ahead of the XXI World Taekwondo Championships slated for July 15-21 in Puebla town.The team which is under the tutelage of Head Coach Martin Koonce includes captain Placide Bagabo [58kg], Allan Bagire [63kg], Boniface Mbonigaba [54kg], Zura Mushambokazi [49kg] and Savio Nizeyimana [68kg]. They will link up with Eric Nkurunziza [87kg], who is based in the US, but Jean Basile Kalisa [87kg] is a possible omission after he was denied a visa by the Mexican Embassy in Canada."We have had good preparations and hope we are ready to stage a good competition on our debut in the World Championships. We hope to perform well against elite nations and ensure that we win a medal,” added Bagabo who also doubles as the Secretary General of Rwanda Taekwondo Federation.Rwanda is set to make its maiden appearance in the Taekwondo World Championships which have been staged since 1973. Taekwondo is one of the most popular sports disciplines in the world. The sport  originated from Korea and was introduced in Rwanda in 2003.