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Photo: Government of Rwanda
Rwanda hosts 2017 ParaVolley Africa Sitting Volleyball Championships.
Kigali, 14 September 2017 – The 2017 ParaVolley Africa Sitting Volleyball Championships kicked off yesterday in Kigali.
The tournament, which runs from 13-17 September 2017, brings together seven African countries represented by four women’s and seven men’s sitting volleyball teams.
The competing teams are from; Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Morocco, Algeria and host Rwanda. Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, and Kenya brought both men’s and women’s sitting volleyball teams. South Africa, Morocco, and Algeria came with only men’s teams. The teams are competing for the title of ParaVolley Africa champion.
The top two men’s and women’s teams will automatically qualify for the 2018 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championships to be held in July 2018 in the Netherlands.
Speaking at the opening of the Championships, the Minister of Sports and Culture Julienne Uwacu welcomed participants and expressed the country’s gratitude to Para Volley Africa for entrusting Rwanda with hosting the tournament.
“We use sports as a means of social change, inclusion, and integration for persons with disabilities. In hosting this tournament, Rwanda reaffirms its commitment to promoting sports for all, with a special emphasis on sports for persons with disabilities,” Minister Uwacu said.
Last year, Rwanda Women Sitting Volleyball team represented the African continent in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Yesterday evening, Rwanda Men’s and Women’s Sitting Volleyball teams beat South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo respectively. Both teams won by 3-0.