Rwanda announces Common Wealth Games squad

Rwanda's Olympic Committee (RNOC) has named a 22 member team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The team, which is taking part in the Games for the very first time, consists of 15 track and field athletes, five cyclists, one swimmer and one boxer.

Athletes hoping to make Rwanda's presence felt on the track include Dieudonne Disi, Rashid Safari, Gervais Nizeyimana and two-time Olympian Epiphanie Nyirabarame in full marathon (42.125km), Gervais Hakizimana in steeple-chase (3000m) and the trio of Jean Baptista Simuceka, Eric Sebahire and Sylvain Rukundo in 5000m and 10,000m races. Jean Claude Ndayisenga and Herman Muvunyi will compete in T46 races.

South Africa-based rider Adrien Niyonshuti will lead Rwanda's surge for honours. Others in the cycling team include four-time Tour of Rwanda champion Abraham Ruhumuriza, Nathan Byukusenge, Nicodem Habiyambere and Hategeka Gasore.

The cyclists will compete in the 167km road race and 40km individual time-trial race among others. Matusi Haziza, who is fresh from last month's Singapore Youth Games, will fly Rwanda's flag in boxing while Alphonsine Agahozo hopes to do Rwanda proud when she competes in the 50m freestyle.

According to RNOC's Executive Director Thierry Ntwali, the team entered residential training yesterday at Hill Top hotel.

The Games will run from October 3-14.

Commonwealth Games team:

Cycling: Nathan Byukusenge, Nicodem Habiyambere, Hategeka Gasore, Abraham Ruhumuriza and Adrien Niyonshuti

Para-sport: Jean Claude Ndayisenga (100m) and Herman Muvunyi (100m).

Athletics: Dieudonne Disi (Marathon), Gervais Hakizimana (3000m steeplechase), Saidi Hamisi Ndayisaba (100m & 200m), Sylvain Rukundo (5000m & 10000m), Eric Sebahire (5000m & 10000m), Jean Baptista Simuceka (5000m & 10000m), Gervais Nizeyimana (Marathon), Joseph Nzirorera (1500m), Rashid Safari (Marathon), Epiphanie Nyirabarame (Marathon), Claudette Mukasakindi (10000m), Jacqueline Murekatete (5000m) and Jean d'Arc Mukakigeri (5000m)

Swimming : Alphonsine Agahozo (50m Freestyle)

Boxing : Matusi Haziza (light weight)

Coaches : Jonathan Boyer, Emmanuel Murenzi, Innocent Rwabuhihi, Charles Tuyisenge and Gashugi Kananura.

Medics: Bulanga Umulisa Assumpta, Jean Damascene Gasherubuka and Emmanuel Nsengiyumva.

Guyana's boxing team for Commonwealth Games

The Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) has named a three-man boxing team for the Commonwealth Games scheduled for New Delhi, India from October 3-14.

Central American and Caribbean (CAC) bronze medallist Dexter Jordan will make his Commonwealth Games debut along with 2008 junior Commonwealth Games silver medallist Clevlon Rock and 2010 CAC member Devon Boatswain.

Accompanying the boxers are GABA president Steve Ninvalle, who will be the manager of the team, and coach Terrence Poole.

Absent from that list is 2010 CAC bronze medallist Ray Sandiford, who is serving a four-month suspension due to indiscipline in Puerto Rico where the CAC Games were held.

Jordan, 20, will be fighting in the flyweight class.

He has an impressive record on the local scene with 121 wins and nine losses and this will be his second time representing Guyana.

Twenty-year-old Rock, who was the CAC team captain, will be looking to rebound from his first round exit from the CAC championships and reproduce his 2008 silver medal performance in Pune, India. He will be competing in 60kgs/lightweight category.

Aside from being the junior Commonwealth silver medallist, he is the national bantamweight champion (2006) and the national open and novices champion of 2010. For middleweight Boatswain, who also lost in the first round of the CAC tournament, this is the first time he will be going to the Commonwealth Games. He started boxing in 2006 at the Guyana Defence Force gym and among his achievements he is the two-time welterweight champion (2009) and national middleweight champion (2010).

Meanwhile, when Stabroek Sport spoke to Ninvalle yesterday he said that the GABA will be looking to have the boxers encamped shortly. He indicated also that the GABA wants the boxers to have the best preparation for the championships and so there will also be a nutritionist onboard while the boxers are encamped.

New Zealand boxing squad for Commonwealth Games

A five-member boxing contingent will represent New Zealand in the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi from October 3-14.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) named young boxer Joseph Parker in the team which will also have the likes of Commonwealth Championship bronze medallist and world number 21, Nathan McEwen (75kg) and Angus Donaldson (60kg) who won silver at the Oceania Championships among others.

According to a NZOC statement, the other two members of the Kiwi team are Reece Papuni (81kg), who won bronze at the President's Cup in Baku, and Commonwealth Championships bronze medal winner David Aloua (91kg).

The 18-year-old Parker won silver in the Commonwealth Championships in Delhi earlier this year and bronze at the Youth World Championships in Baku (Azerbaijan).

Soon after his selection in the Delhi-bound squad, Parker, who will contest in the super-heavy weight category in the Commonwealth Games, said, "Now it's my chance to show New Zealand what I've got."

Boxing New Zealand chairman and former national coach John McKay said Parker is a medal prospect in the Commonwealth Games.

"He has very fast hands and is very mobile for a super-heavyweight. He's comparatively inexperienced but with only 30 competition bouts under his belt he is achieving very well," McKay said.

He also said that team contains two very experienced boxers in McEwen and Donaldson.

"These boys have very good idea what is required of them in Delhi which is to be very fit and technically well equipped. Today boxing is very technical," McKay said.

Australian boxing squad for Commonwealth Games

Australian has named 10 men strong boxing squad for Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

19 yr old Moloney brothers, Andrew and Jason, are set to become the first boxing twins to represent Australia at the Commonwealth level when they take the ring in the October 3 to 14 event.

While Andrew competes in the light fly weight 49kg division, Jason will be fighting it out in the fly weight 52kg
category.

They join cricketers Mark and Steve Waugh (1998) and cyclists Remo and Salsonetti (1978) as only the third pair of twins to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games.

The Moloneys are among five teenagers who will make their debuts in Delhi, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association said. 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Luke Jackson will be the most experienced member of the Australian boxing contingent. The oldest member is Russian born super heavyweight pugilist Alexey Mukhin (29).

The squad has Andrew Moloney (light flyweight), Jason Moloney (flyweight), Ibrahim Balla (bantamweight), Luke Jackson (lightweight), Luke Woods (light welterweight), Cameron Hammond (welterweight), Damien Hooper (middleweight), Dane Mulivai (light heavyweight), Giancarlo Squillace (heavyweight), Alexey Mukhin (super heavyweight).