THE National Swimming Federation (RSF) has said that this year’s edition of the Genocide memorial swimming competition will take place on June 22 at Cercle Sportif Club.

Speaking to this Time Sport on Monday, RSF president Samuel Ufitimana Kinimba disclosed that the tournament will run under the name, ‘8th Nyabarongo Source of Nile Genocide Memorial Swimming Championship’.

The objective is to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and to remember those who lost their lives, he said.

This will be the eighth edition.

The annual competition is organised in partnership with Cercle Sportif Club at Rugunga.

Ufitimana said that six clubs, which include defending champions Thousand Kilo’s Women’s Swimming Club, Rwamagana, Kigali Sporting Club, Cercle Sportif de Kigali, Vision Rubavu and Karongi Swimming Club, will take part.

Around 140 swimmers are set to tussle it out in male, female and junior categories for medals (in the butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke and relay styles).

Some of these clubs will also organise individual events to commemorate the Genocide, he noted.

"Over one million people lost their lives during the harrowing hundred days,” he said, adding, "It is against this background that we must d everything possible to ensure that, together as Rwandans and the world, live up to the pledge of ‘never again’.”

He observed that sport can be used an avenue to heal Genocide wounds.

"Sport does not only promote health and well-being, it also fosters tolerance, mutual understanding, and peace,” he said. "Sport empowers, inspires and unites people.”

Swimming is not limited to the pool because it is a social sport, he said.

Many sports personalities, including players and administrators, lost their lives during the Genocide against the Tutsi, a culmination of decades of systematic division and hate propagated by the pre-1994 regimes.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com