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Rwanda: Edinburgh Squad in Visa Hitch
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The New Times (Kigali)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Bonnie Mugabe
Kigali
Last minute rush to obtain visas has become a norm to Rwanda's teams traveling out of country. After last week's drama that saw Rayon Sport stranded in Nairobi over visas to Sudan, this time around, is Rwanda's Athletics team to the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championship set for this Sunday in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The 14-man squad which is booked on today morning's Kenya Airways flight had not received their visas from the British Embassy yesterday by press time.
The athletics head coach Adolph Rukenkanya told Times Sport yesterday that their travel to Scotland is in doubt. "We are waiting for the visas before the end of today (yesterday) and this will assure our travel tomorrow (today)," Rukenkanya said.
According to Rukenkanya, the Edinburgh bound squad filled entry forms on Tuesday at the British Embassy before sending them to Kampala for visa processing.
Nonetheless the delay couldn't halt national long distance icon Dieudonne Disi landing himself a visa to Scotland today to acclimatize himself with European climate ahead of the Sunday's World championship.
In a related development, full marathon national champion Epiphanie Nyirabarame, Adeline Musabyeyezu, Esperance Mukarugwiza, Clementine Nyiraguhirwa, Jean D'Arc Mukakigeri won't be making the trip to Edinburgh.
The athletes were dropped yesterday on grounds that they were below par.
The female squad is being led by 22-year old Angelline Nyiransabimana who has been camping at the Eldoret training camp in Kenya.
Other athletes on the women squad include; Claudette Mukasakindi, Genessi Nyirahabimana and Pelagie Musengimana. The male squad on the other hand consists of
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Dieudonne Disi, Cyriaque Ndayikengurikiye, Felix Ntirenganya, Gervais Hakizimana, Sylvain Rukundo, Jean Baptista Simuceka and Godfrey Rutayisire.
"Every athlete has displayed a drastic improvement and this has instilled confidence in the national team," Rukenkanya noted.
In last year's World Cross Country championship that was held in Mombasa, Disi and Nyiransabimana topped Rwanda's charts after finishing 23rd and 31st respectively.
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