Regional students, who participated at an inter-school competition organised by the Federation of East African Secondary School Sports Associations (FEASSSA), have been urged to embrace the region’s integration process.

The call was made on Sunday by the Minister for Education, Dr Eugene Mutimura, while officially opening this year’s competition in Musanze District.

Mutimura said that the FEASSSA is important as it helps to refine students’ skills.

"What is important is not winning,” the minister told the students, stressing that what was required was "unity, networking, working together on making the diversity we have in our regions help us get closer as brothers and sisters so that we become tomorrow’s generation to champion East African integration.”

Charles Chacha, the FEASSSA patron, echoed the minister’s sentiments saying the rationale behind FEASSSA was all about making the East African Community’s dream come true.

"The true spirit of the FEASSSA Games is not about competition, it is not about the winner and loser. The true spirit of the FEASSSA Games is true integration, an interaction of our young people to make the East African Community,” he said.

Mutimura assured that the Government of Rwanda desired to see all its efforts invested in the preparation of this year’s FEASSSA bear fruits by promoting the values of the East African Community.

The games attracted 1,982 students and about 250 officials from Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. For the first time, the ten-day competitions also attracted primary schools.

However, participants from Tanzania, Burundi and South Sudan did not make it over what FEASSSA secretariat called challenges they hoped to fix in the future.

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