The year’s Olympic medal hopeful Dieudonne Disi has offered to support fellow national athletes attain minimum qualification standards for Beijing Games set for August 8-24 in China. Disi told Times Sport over the weekend that his decision came after struggling athletes Slyvain Rukundo and Angelline Nyiransabimana failed to beat the minimum qualifications in the African athletics championships held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last month. “I will try to get invitations for them to take part in the some European championships as they try to attain the qualification standards for Beijing Games. “Iam confident about their chances of qualifying once they get on track in one of the championships,” noted Rwanda’s leading athlete. The 27-year-old, who is currently training back at home, is still waiting for the National Olympics Committee to grant him permission to take the duo to Europe. Rukundo, Nyiransabimana and Felix Ntirenganya are the only athletes that the local athlete body and NOC hope are capable to attaining the minimum standards for the Beijing Games. Rukundo is intensifying his trainings at home in Kigali while Nyiransabimana is among the six foreign athletes under the Olympic programme undergoing a training stint in Italy. She is joined by five other athletes from Zambia, Malawi, Liberia, Gabon and Sri-Lanka in training. Currently, Disi (10.000m) and Epiphanie Nyirabarame (marathon) are the only athletes who have qualified for the Games. Ends
