BUJUMBURA, December 24th (ABP) – The Burundi Table Tennis Federation (FTTB) has been organizing an intensive training camp from December 23 to 30, 2024 as part of the Project for the Emergence and Promotion of Sports (PEPS). This initiative, which brings together 24 talented young people, marks a crucial step in the preparation of Burundian athletes for regional and international competitions, with a particular focus on the Youth Olympic Games (OG) to be held in Dakar in 2026 and in Los Angeles in 2028, a check by ABP revealed.
According to Honorable Henri Bukumbanya, chairman of the FTTB and deputy chairperson of the National Olympic Committee (CNO), the activity is part of a global approach to improving the Burundian sporting level. “This project does not only concern table tennis, but extends to other federations,” he said. According to him, it is the result from a fruitful collaboration between the CNO and the French Embassy to Burundi.
Among the young participants, 24 were selected and divided into three categories: junior, cadet and sub-cadet. At the end of the camp, a rigorous selection committee will select six athletes (three girls and three boys) who will form the core of the team aiming for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in 2026. The ambition does not stop there, since these young athletes will also have the opportunity to aim for participation in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.
Bukumbanya urged the young participants to adopt exemplary behavior and to carefully follow the instructions of the international table tennis expert, Paul Tiendrebeogo Césaire, who came especially from Burkina Faso to supervise the trainees.
Tiendrebeogo underscored the importance of this camp for the acquisition of technical and practical elements essential for high performance. “We will work on building a solid base, both technically and tactically, in close collaboration with their coaches,” he said.
The Burkinabe expert expressed his hope that those young people will compete successfully at the regional and international level at the end of this week of intensive training.This training camp represents a significant investment in the future of Burundian table tennis and demonstrates the country’s desire to train a new generation of athletes capable of shining on the international stage.
Note that this expert pointed out that the focus on the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in 2026 and the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 demonstrates a long-term vision and commitment to the development of sport in Burundi.