All member sports federations of the Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee (RNOSC) have backed Théogène Uwayo to become the body’s new president for the next four years.

Uwayo, who has been the president of Rwanda Karate Federation since 2008, was unanimously elected for the top position during a General Assembly on Saturday, May 8.

As he takes office, a lot awaits Uwayo following the ups and downs that shaped the outgoing executive committee’s administration.

Times Sport looks at what the 60-year-old veteran promised to bring to office towards building a bright future for the Rwandan sport sector:

Good governance

The fact that Uwayo kept repeating building the sports around ‘good governance’ in his manifesto, media interviews and post-election speech, is an indication that he is aware of poor management among some sports federations.

Federations, for instance, had divided opinions on the dates on which the new Olympic Committee would be elected, with some suggesting after the Tokyo 2020 Games while others wanted elections to take place before the Olympic Games since the term of the outgoing executive committee led by Valens Munyabagisha expired in May.

Uwayo can start from that scenario and build a strong bond between his office and member federations if he is to successfully implement the manifesto he presented to the general assembly on Saturday.

"There has been poor governance among the Olympic Committee and member federations. But, as the newly-elected executive committee, we want to bring good governance back by working with member federations, share experiences and find solutions for common results for our sports,” he said.

Preparing future medalists

Uganda and Kenya are far way better than Rwanda   when it comes to producing medalists Olympic Games, hence hitting the biggest global stages at different international competitions in different Olympic sports.

Contrary, no Rwandan has ever won a medal at the Olympic Games, actually very few qualify to the Olympic Games through competitions with many attending the world’s biggest event on invitations after failing to hit the minimum times required.

Asked whether he can change that trend, Uwayo said preparing future successful athletes can only start from the grassroots.

"Preparing an athlete requires a clear structure, resources and timeline because results come within a given period of time,” Uwayo said.

Building from schools

Uwayo is optimistic schools can be the foundation of sports development in Rwanda, which is why he is looking forward to building future athletes from schools.

He said the new executive committee looks at available resources and infrastructure to ensure that students get a platform to excel at a young age.

Looking for sports partners

Most, if not all, sports federations and the National Olympic Committee depend on the resources from the Ministry of Sports as they struggle to secure sponsorship enough to sustain themselves.

However, Uwayo, who has ample experience in the business sector, said his office is looking forward to attracting the private sector and working together for a win-win approach.

"We want business partners to do business with us where we can both benefit from our partnerships. We did the same when I was the president of the Karate Federation and I believe we can still do it from here,” he said.