President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame presided over the inauguration of Kimironko basketball court on Saturday, May 27, as part of a series of events happening on the side-lines of Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs and finals in Kigali.

Located in Kimironko sector, Gasabo district, the 500-seater facility was built through a partnership between the local basketball governing body (FERWABA), BAL, Imbuto Foundation, and the Ministry of Sports.

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The President said: "I begin, most sincerely, by thanking Amadou Gallo Fall of BAL and other partners. Let me also thank Mark Tatum as a good partner from the NBA, and more partners who are here. We thank you for your presence, contribution, and being part of this movement to advance our continent of Africa through sporting activities like this one.”

"Specifically, I want to thank BAL, Imbuto, and the Ministry of Sports, for being very central to enabling our country, and our young people through this facility that has been built here. I think the benefits speak for themselves.”

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There is no time to waste

Kagame noted that such facilities give Rwandan youth a future that they would not have had if it was not for such efforts.

"For the young people, you should not waste any opportunity like this one. Once it is there, just do what you best can... There is no time to waste, you need to think about your future, in many ways and this is just one channel of expressing yourself and building that future you deserve to have.”

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Kagame urged the youth to also be mindful of the maintenance of such facilities.

"It also speaks to the sense that once you have the maintenance of it, keeping it in shape is very important so that you continue to realize its meaning.”

"I want to, once again, recommit ourselves that we will always do our best in whatever limited means that we have. We will always do our best. To our partners, any support, any contribution, it is going to have commendable returns, we are happy that we can give you that satisfaction.”

At the ceremony, the President and the First Lady were flanked by officials including BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Vice President Mark Tatum, Sports Minister Aurore Mimosa Munyagaju, NBA Africa Chief Executive Victor Williams, as well as local basketball federation president, Desiree Mugwiza.

"Rwanda is a shining example and we are proud of the work we continue to do here,” said Fall.

"It has always been through providing safe places that we emerge talent from our youth, and this a testament to the pillar.”

Amadou reiterated that "I have no doubt that talent is going to emerge here. Today, this is a proud moment and this is an example that we look forward to replicating all over the continent to make sure that basketball continues to be a conduit for moving Africa forward.”

Amadou invited President Kagame for the final BAL game in the afternoon.

Kagame said he would "gladly join the rest.”