Home Sports Sports Minister Calls on Tokyo-bound Athletes to Keep Training Despite Postponement

Sports Minister Calls on Tokyo-bound Athletes to Keep Training Despite Postponement

by Jacques Furaha
6:19 pm

Munyengaju Aurore Mimosa, Minister of Sports

As the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Olympic Games have become the biggest sports event to fall victim after the International Olympic Committee together with the organizing committee in Tokyo decided to postpone the games for another year.

Initially scheduled to kick-off on July 24 this year, the Tokyo Games will instead take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021,the first such postponement in the 124-year history of modern Olympics.

In light of the pandemic, Sports Minister Munyengaju Aurore Mimosa has urged athletes who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics to keep training hard.

“We believe this is an opportunity for those who have already qualified for the Olympic Games to keep preparing and training hard and for those who have not yet qualified to prepare for qualification,” said Munyengaju.

Muhitira and Hakizimana are not the only athletes whose Olympics dreams are on hold as more Rwandan athletes were waiting to qualify in different events which were eventually cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With the whole country currently on lockdown and all sports activities on hold,Munyengaju also called on all athletes to keep training in isolation to maintain their fitness.

“As we await confidently for the national leagues to resume, we exhort you to continue practicing individually and follow the instructions of your trainer during this period,” the Minister said.