No Beijing Games boycott

Rwanda National Olympic Committee (RNOC) president Ignace Beraho has confirmed that no International Committee Olympic member state will boycott this year’s Beijing Games set for August 8-24 in China. Beraho told Times Sport yesterday that all the 205 national Olympic Committees have confirmed their participation in the forthcoming Beijing Games and will not boycott the games. “A declaration to give full support and participation in the upcoming Beijing Games was approved by the heads of 205 national and regional Olympic committees and thus no boycotting the Games,” Beraho said. Beraho further added that IOC is a world wide peace movement which fights for building a peaceful world thus will never take hand in hand with several governments who are against peace. Other issues discussed in the week-long assembly included; enabling athletes to express their speech, emphasizing on the autonomy of the National Olympic Committees, air quality and environmental issues to mention but a few. Meanwhile, Rwanda is set to be represented by three disciplines at the forthcoming Beijing games which include; Swimming, Athletics and Paralympics. In Paralympics, Elmas Muvunyi (100m & 200m), Jean de Dieu Nkundabera (800m & 1500m) and Lysha Kwizera are the athletes likely to take part in the Manchester Paralympics international championship in June hoping to secure their places on the Paralympics squad. 2004 Athens Paralympics bronze medalist, Nkundabera has already qualified for the Beijing Games in 800m during last year’s All Africa Games in Algeria but wants to secure a slot in the 1500m. In the mainstream athletics, which is Rwanda’s main hope for a medal in Beijing has so far qualified two; Dieudonné Disi (10.000m) and Epiphanie Nyirabarame (women marathon). However, more athletes still have a chance to beat that minimum required qualification time when the Africa Athletics Championship rolls off at the end of next month in Ethiopia. In Swimming, Pamela Ngirimbabazi will take part both 100m breast stroke but she is set to try out on the 50 m free stroke. Ngirimbabazi is one of the experienced female swimmers in the country after she took part in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games which held in both Sydney and Athens respectively. The lone boy is yet to be named after selections that comprise of duo swimmers Aimable Habimana and Jackson Niyomugabo are set to climax late this month. Habimana features in both 100m freestyle and 50m freestyle while Niyomugabo features in both 100m freestyle and 1500m respectively. Ends

Lifestyle

No Beijing Games boycott