Rwanda has national men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams. In June 2021, head coach for both squads was Jean Paul Mana, who guided them through training sessions at Lake Kivu Beach in the Rubavu District.
In 2018–2020 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cup Rwanda was represented by two teams in the women’s section who were Charlotte Nzayisenga and Valentine Munezero, as well as Benitha Mukandayisenga and Seraphine Mukantabana.The male players were Olivier Ntagengwa, Patrick Kavalo Akumuntu, Venuste Gatsinzi and Fils Habanzintwari.
Benitha is a professional female volleyball player she was born on the 5th march 1994 she currently plays for the kenya commercial bank team(KCB), player who has been promoted to saint aloys club in Rwamagana. She signed the first contract in December 2017. In APR VC later she won the Rwandan championship in 2019 as a chinese player.
She played for St Aloys de Rwamagana then signed in December 2017 for APR VC After being crowned champion of Rwanda 2019 with a title of best player of the season, she joined the Albanian club Partizani Tirana in September 2019; she is the first Rwandan volleyball player to sign a contract abroad.
After winning a game Benitha said “It is good to see that our work to best represent our country is appreciated so much. Honestly, I cannot thank enough the thousands of fans who came to cheer on us, with their songs and dances throughout the game, even when we were behind. Their unconditional support has been a tremendous source of for us”
Benitha Mukandayisenga, 24, was voted as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the women’s volleyball league last season.
She played in the Rwanda under-17 team, under-20 team and then in the Rwanda senior 1 team.
She is a bronze medalist at the 2019 African Beach Volleyball Championships in Abuja with Charlotte Nzayisenga.
KCB coach said that “ playing volleyball comes easy to her because it was her dream ever since she was young it is her dream career. She is happy in the club she is playing for now (KCB).”
When we tried to reach on other teammates of Benitha and asked them at the moment they are playing in the Kenya commercial bank team, how the match were prepared they said it is as other matches they played in different times
“ Although it may appear to be the same thing, beach volleyball is very different from volleyball, there are many more variables than in volleyball, for example wind, sun and sand make every gesture much more difficult to do but, like with anything, you learn by experience and by training! Volleyballers find the transition from indoors to the beach not always easy and quick, there are game mechanics that are only created through training, this is the reason we are sure that we can only improve by time!” Benitha’s teammate said
Practising competitive sports in particularly harsh climatic conditions, as is the case of the Lega Volley Summer Tour, Playing sports in unfavourable weather conditions involves a greater and more sudden waste of energy, while sweating expels minerals and substances which are very important for the necessary energy. To make up for these drops during the activity it is necessary to integrate quickly with drinks and supplements rich in minerals and substances that at that moment unfortunately are running low.
