In the middle of England, in the middle of Birmingham, in the middle of office blocks, nowhere near the sea, there’s a beach volleyball court.
In the middle of the court is Olivier Ntagengwa competing in the men’s beach volleyball.
Rwanda’s Olivier Ntagengwa. Credit:AP
He’s from Rwanda, near the middle of Africa. And Ntagengwa is in the middle of one of the greatest moments of his life.
Ntagengwa’s knees sink into the middle of the sandy court, then he bends at the midriff. He’s in the middle of celebrating.
Ntagengwa’s beach volleyball partner Venuste Gatsinzi joins him.
The Rwandans embrace after their 21-18, 21-19 victory. They scream in joy. They have just beaten New Zealand in a Commonwealth Games quarter-final.
The Kiwis, Sam O’Dea and Brad Fuller, won bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
But on the sand in Birmingham, in the middle of a city about two hours from the ocean, the Kiwis can’t counter a Rwandan duo making their Games debut.
“This is a special moment ... you have to celebrate. If we win, you have to celebrate happiness,” Ntagengwa said minutes later, still in the middle of the buzz of victory.
“We are very happy for being in the semi-finals.”
AAP
Venuste Gatsinzi, right, hugs teammate Olivier Ntagengwa to celebrate Rwanda’s win in the men’s beach volleyball quarter-final match against New Zealand. Credit:AP