Rwanda names men’s team for World Championship qualifiers

QATAR-based player Christophe Mukunzi will lead the Rwanda men’s national team in the upcoming 2014 FIVB World Championship sub zonal men Pool I qualifiers due in Kigali this week.Mukunzi was named the captain by head coach Paul Bitok yesterday as he lined up the final 12-man team which will take part in the three-day tournament which will see Rwanda competing against Ethiopia and Egypt in a bid to reach the next stage.Rwanda team is dominated by players from Inatek and APR, as well as a few professional players with whom Bitok expects to stage impressive perfomances. Players who were dropped include; Amiable Mutuyimana [APR], Eugene Tuyishime, Guillaume Irakarama, Evode Munyandinda and Emile Karera Dada [NUR].The tournament gets underway on July 25 with hosts Rwanda opening the title quest against Ethiopia. A day after, Egypt will face Ethiopia before Rwanda takes on Egypt on July 27 at Amahoro indoor stadium.Rwanda will have a home advantage, and thus are regarded as favourites before they host Zone V championship which will attract Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda in November, this year, from which the top three teams will qualify to the final round which will determine Africa’s representatives to the World Championships in Poland.Uganda will compete with Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi in Pool ‘H’ of the sub-zonal tournament which will be held in Kampala this week.In the women category, six national teams will take part in the five days’ tournament that will include: hosts Kenya, Egypt, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The tourney will be held at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani with the opening matches set for Wednesday.The top three teams from each sub-zonal pool will qualify to the second phase, which is the zonal phase that involves 36 countries.In the final phase of the men qualifications, the top three ranked team in the last FIVB ranking will join the 12 qualifiers to make a total of 15 teams.They will be divided into three final pools where the champions of each pool will secure their tickets to the FIVB event (three African qualifiers).Final team: Pierre Kwizera Marshal, Herve Kagimbura and Flavien Ndamukunda (Inatek), Elie Mutabazi, Bosco Mutabazi, Theodore Thiambo and Fred Musoni (APR) Olivier Ntagengwa and Eric ‘Machine’ Nsabimana [NUR], Lawrence Yakan Guma [Algeria], Placide Sibomana Madison and Christophe Mukunzi (Qatar).