Northern Province has the most number of talented primary school pupils, according to a recent talent detection carried out by the Education Ministry.

Pupils from schools from the Northern Province dominated the one-day talent detection series in four sports disciplines (football, handball, volleyball and basketball), which was held last Wednesday in Muhanga district.

The competitions were held by the Ministry of Education to help in selecting pupils who would represent the country in various regional and international contests in the future.

All four Provinces and Kigali City were represented and Northern Province pupils emerged as the dominant in all four disciplines after collecting 40 points including 22 in the girls’ categories and 18 in the boys.

Each Province along with Kigali City was represented by 180 pupils for the first ever talent detection series of it’s kind to be carried out in the country.

At the end of the one-day event, 40 pupils (20 boys and 20 girls) were selected in each of the four disciplines but football, which had 30 selected.

In total, 120 pupils were selected in basketball, handball and volleyball, while 60 footballers were selected in both categories bringing the total of selected pupils in the country to 180.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Clever Yisa, the Secretary General in the ministry, urged the selected pupils to be ambassadors of their Provinces and country in national and international competitions.

"You have been selected as the predominant players in the country at primary school level,” Yisa said.

Those who were selected, he said, would continue to receive training from different coaches so that in the next 10-15 years they would be in shape and reputation to represent the country in the four disciplines at the international scene.

The director of Sports in the education ministry, Parterne Rwigema, said that those who were selected would be given continuous exclusive attention and training even during holidays.

While the president of the Federation for School Sports (FRSS) Innocent Gatete, advised the pupils to maintain a good deal of discipline if they are to develop into good sports individuals capable of flying the country’s flag high.

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