Mukobwankawe eyes one more Paralympic push for LA28 after Paris 2024

Rwanda captain Liliane Mukobwankawe is not just aiming for success at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games but is already setting her sights on LA28. For Lili, Paris 2024 is not the final chapter, as she wants LA28 to be her last dance at the Paralympic Games. This ambitious goal reflects her dedication and resilience, qualities that have propelled Rwanda to the fifth spot in the global rankings.

“I think my last one is LA28 and after I would like to be a sitting volleyball coach because I have already earned my Level 1 coaching certificate since 2019,” she revealed.

She has been a cornerstone of the women’s sitting volleyball team since their debut at Rio 2016, and Paris 2024 will mark her third consecutive Games appearance. Born in Kamonyi District in the Southern Province of Rwanda, she grew up in an average family with two sisters and four brothers. “I’m the last born in my family,” she shared. Her passion for sports started in secondary school, where she enjoyed playing basketball and volleyball.

However, a road accident at the age of seven, which injured her right femur, altered her path. “Even after my accident, I thought about continuing sport but in another movement, not Olympic but Paralympic as I’m disabled. Arriving there I saw that the sport is the same and I continued until now to play for my country at the highest level,” she said.

Lili’s shift from sit-ball to sitting volleyball was natural, as she had played both sports before. “There were no big challenges, but the only minor challenge was to be able to play a collective game with others who didn’t like sitting volleyball. But after a while with training, we adapted to sitting volleyball,” she explained.

Under her leadership, Rwanda’s women’s sitting volleyball team has achieved historic success. “I am very proud to be in the team that is among the best five in the world and I am ready, along with my teammates, to do whatever it takes to break into the top 3,” Lili said. She credited the team’s success to several factors: “Good support from our government, a good staff especially our head coach, good preparation, and teamwork of our team.”

The team’s journey to qualifying for three Paralympic Games has been demanding. “It’s a great experience to participate in the third edition of the Paralympic Games because there are few players who do that. What pushes me to do this is that I want to achieve my dreams I had for a long time,” she shared.

The training regimen for the team has evolved significantly, especially with the addition of Egyptian coach Mosaad Elaiuty. “The training program has evolved a lot since the arrival of coach Mosaad because he has brought other systems, techniques, and tactics. Also, playing in strong teams here in the championship, all this improved my training programme,” she noted.

A typical training week for the 34-year-old Lili is rigorous. “For my side, I do my individual training three days a week. And for our team, now we are in a training camp of 30 days. But even after the African Championship, we didn’t stop for a long time,” she said.