Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) General Manager Bridget Uwineza has said that cricket development in the country is on course to reach international standards.

The Association manager commended the spirit of all cricket sports men and women in the country and the level of professionalism they have manifested.

"When I look at where we have come from since 2000 when the game was first introduced in Rwanda and where we are today, I have no doubt that we shall achieve all that we want as far as cricket development is concerned,” Uwineza said in an interview with Times Sport.

Cricket has been steadily growing in the country since its inception in 2000.

The game had no sponsors at the time it was established but today there are three committed sponsors of the game in Rwanda. They include UAE Exchange sponsors of the biggest tournament of the year, the V.R NAIDU Family for the first tournament of the year, which currently runs till the end of March this year and Computer point for the Computer Point T20 Tournament.

Uwineza noted that due to the development programme that was initiated by RCA, the number of cricket players has increased significantly to over 15,000 throughout the country and she is confident that it will double within this year.

"An international cricket ground is under construction in Gahanga, and another will be set up in Kayonza in the first quarter of the year and we hope to have as many as possible throughout the country so that we move the game to the periphery parts of Rwanda,” she noted.

Rwanda cricket Association also runs mini-cricket tournaments for the young children in primary schools, inter-school cricket competitions for secondary schools and a university challenge to cater for higher institutions from which many of the current national team cricket players were picked.

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