BUJUMBURA, October 4th (ABP) – Following the holding of the Paris Olympic Games, which began on 26 July and ended on 11 August, the National Olympic Committee (CNO) has expressed its views on the participation of Burundian athletes in the competition, a total of seven athletes qualified for Paris 2024, in three disciplines. Judo was represented by a single athlete by the name of Ciella Ange Niragira in the U78 kg category. Swimming was represented by two athletes: Lois Eliora Irishura and Belly Crésus Ganira in the 50-metre freestyle. Athletics had qualified four athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Francine Niyomukunzi in the 5,000 meters (world ranking: 41st on June 25, 2024 before the Olympic Games), Egide Ntakarutimana in the 5,000 meters, Célestin Ndikumana in the 10,000 meters (world ranking: 248th on June 25, 2024 before the Olympic Games), Rodrigue Kwizera in the 10,000 meters (world ranking: 12th on June 25, 2024).
The chairperson of the Federation of the National Olympic Committee, Lydia Nsekera, present at the Paris Olympic Games, has provided a detailed assessment. Thus, in judo, she pointed out that medals were not expected, given that Ciella Ange Niragira’s ranking, despite being among the best in Africa, is not in the top 10 at the world level.
“It is a very complicated competition, she needs a professional coach, it is important that we have a qualified coach for judo, we can congratulate her for qualifying for the Olympic Games because it was complicated,” she pointed out.
In swimming, while also indicating that medals were not expected given the performance of the athletes who represented the country, in light of their world ranking, the CNO chairperson expressed her satisfaction with the performances displayed by the two athletes who represented Burundi: Lois Eliora Irishura and Belly Crésus Ganira. “We are happy because the two athletes broke the national record and their own individual record”.
In athletics, the Nsekera drew a negative assessment of the participation of the athletes. “For athletics, we regret because we realized that the four athletes had health problems”. She noted that among the four athletes, one withdrew. “Three others went to the Olympic Games with problems, one with a very serious problem”. For this, she said that the CNO intends to “take measures for the athletes who are in workouts in Italy”.
This is at the time when the four athletes were doing workouts in clubs in Italy. Nsekera expressed her incomprehension, believing that the doctors within their clubs in Italy could have detected the health problems in time. “That is why the CNO cannot trust club doctors in Italy, we trust a Burundian doctor.”
Informing that it was she who detected a health problem for one of the athletes in competition, at a time when the doctors in Italy had not noticed anything.
On the other hand, she noted that the act of commitment of athletes and officials participating in the Olympic Games will be improved for the next Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles in 2028. This is an improvement that follows the observation, by the CNO, during the stay of Burundian athletes in the Olympic village, according to Lydia Nsekera.