Saidi Ndayisaba will be the lone athlete to represent Rwanda at this year's East Africa University Games scheduled for February 8-12 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Ndayisaba, a student at UNILAK, is the reigning national champion in 100m and 200m.

In 2010, he took part in the Common Wealth Games held in Delhi, India. He failed to go past the first round, clocking 11.44 in 100m, and 22.85 in 200m.

"I am ready to represent my country in the Games; however, being alone could affect my performance but I don't want to use that as an excuse not to do well," said Ndayisaba.

Sending just one athlete has been attributed to lack of proper planning by Rwandan universities and other instituions of higher learning and not giving priority to sports in their institutions.

Meanwhile, fifteen Ugandan universities have confirmed participation in the East Africa University Games.

Record champions Makerere, Kampala University, Nkumba, Bugema, Kyambogo, Gulu, Bishop Stuart, Uganda Martyrs, St. Lawrence and Kampala International University (KIU) are some of the institutions that will carry Uganda's flag at the biennial showpiece.

Other Ugandan sides heading for the games include overall defending champions Ndejje University, Kampala University, Busitema, Uganda Christian University (UCU), Makerere University Business School, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU).

Other universities expected to send teams are from Kenya, Burundi and Tanzania. The University of Dar es Salaam is staging this year's Games.