AT just 19, Emile Karera has set the bar so high. After being voted best Libero at last year’s Africa Club Championship, the APR star yarns for even more success.

However, despite all the success on the court, Karera who is commonly referred to as ‘Dada’ keeps having nightmares of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Dada who survived the massacres at Rafiki Nyamirambo together with three of his family members has not lost hope in life. The teenager believes volleyball can ease his painful history and put a shining star on his international career.

The Libero who was only four years during the killings now lives with his mother, two sisters and a brother.

Karera started his volleyball career as a spiker at Umubano Blue Tigers (UBT) in 2000. He had a In 2002, he had a cameo spell at Christ Roi (CXR) before making a U-turn to UBT were he went on  to win the ‘Disparus National’ a tournament held in memory of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

In 2006, he crossed over to APR were he was groomed into a ‘Libero’ due to lots of attacking options at the club.

Since then, Dada has been a revelation at the club. He has been instrumental in the club’s league dominance from 2007 through to 2009. His stunning and consistent performances for APR recently won him a call onto the national team.

During last year’s CAVB Africa Club Championship in Tunisia, he was voted best libero at the tournament which had attracted Africa’s top clubs and now hopes to build on that performance in future events.

"Volleyball has changed my life a great deal. I can now study and live a descent life too,” he recently told Times Sport.

"Last year, I had a good outing at the Africa Club Championship and hope to keep up that display this year.
I’m happy at APR and hope to achieve big things at the club,” said Karera.

Karera also has plans of playing for an international club in the near future. This year’s Africa club championship will run from April 20-30 in Tunisia.

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