Team Rwanda meet Queen Elizabeth on London’s Olympic Village

Posted by: FM Posted date : 30 July 2012 at 5:57 PM 3 views In: Olympic games

The Queen is said to have visited with fawning Rwandan Olympians in
the athletes’ village and rode to the top of the 377-foot (115-meter)
Orbit tower beside the stadium, where on Friday night she officially
opened the 2012 Games.

After playing a starring role alongside James Bond in Danny Boyle’s
critically acclaimed opening ceremony, Her Majesty toured the village
with 150 members of the British Olympic Association as well as London
2012 chairman Lord Sebastian Coe.

The Queen was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh as she was shown
around the residential block and dining hall by BOA chairman Lord
Colin Moynihan.

Dressed in a royal blue silk dress, crepe coat and matching hat, the
queen could be heard remarking at the views of the London skyline and
countryside.

She wore a brooch given to her in 1948 – the last time London hosted
the Olympics and four years before her accession to the throne.

Team Rwanda Chef de Mission Serge Mwambali was delighted with the
rare historic chat with the Queen which he said willo boost their
team’s morale.

“Africa was represented by Rwanda, Kenya and Swaziland and each
country chose three athletes accompanied by an official to meet Queen
Elizabeth.”

“We had a wonderful moment meeting the Queen. After watching the
opening ceremony of the Games, it was completely an awesome experience
once again,” added Mwambali.

Claudette Mukasandi (10,000m), Alphonsine Agahozo (50m freestyle),
Fred Yannick Uwase (judo) and Mwambali enjoyed the once in a life time
opportunity to meet and have a light moment with Queen Elizabeth.

On Friday night, cyclist Adrien Niyonshuti was part of the grand
opening ceremony as he strutted inside the Olympic Stadium with a huge
grin holding the Rwanda flag aloft.

Niyonshuti was a flag bearer on the same stage with Jamaica’s Usain
Bolt and other top athletes.