Ministry of Sports, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), on Wednesday, June 7, handed over sports equipment to 17 Rwandan schools in which Isonga-AFD Programme is operating.

The programme seeks to unearth, develop and promote young talents, both males and females, from schools towards producing future stars in different sporting disciplines namely Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Handball, Cycling and Athletics.

There were delays in delivering the equipment which hence prevented the schools from implementing the programme in a technical perspective.

READ ALSO: AFD to inject over Rwf1.5 billion in Isonga programme

Placide Bagabo, the sports development officer in ‘Isonga-AFD’ programme, said that the delays triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and well as the procurement process before ordering them outside the country.

"This programme was launched in 2021 but we were still struggling to recover from Covid-19 problems, now is the time to resume the activities starting with giving out these equipment,” Bagabo told Times Sports.

A total of 599 children were selected to join the programme which is being implemented in 17 schools across the country.

A host of coaches and teachers were also trained in line with the curriculum that will be referred to during the programme.

In a handover ceremony held at Lycee de Kigali Gymnasium, the schools benefiting from Isonga-AFD programme were given various equipment including balls, jerseys, playing boots, socks, bikes, smart watches and athletics equipment among others.

Now that the schools have the equipment, Bagabo said, children will now start training, playing competitions as well as have camps which will be organized to evaluate their talent development.

"They will not just be having training sessions at schools. We have also planned the training camps for them which will be held during holidays,” he said.

"They will play some tournaments between them to evaluate their levels of talent growth after a certain period of time,” he added.

Students upbeat

During the equipment handover, Lycee de Kigali students aged under 13 years played a demonstration basketball game between after receiving their kits.

Elie Ariel Impano, 13, is one of the students selected for the Isonga-AFD programme. He said that the sports kits going to help him grow his talent.

"Now I will be able to train regularly,” he said. "Sometimes I had no shoes to play, otherwise I used the old ones... but now everything has changed. They gave us new boots, jerseys and other equipment which on my behalf think are going to boost my talent with these good coaches,” Impano said.

The Isonga Project was initially launched by the government of Rwanda in 2009 as a talent pool approach through which the Ministry of Sports selected the most talented young male footballers to prepare them into future players for the national teams.

The government revised the project in 2019, with a target to unearth, develop and promote young talents, both males and females, from schools towards producing future stars in different sporting disciplines namely Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Handball, Cycling and Athletics.

To implement the programme, the Ministry of Sports secured financing from AFD worth Euros 1.5 million which will mainly be used in repairing and upgrading sports infrastructures in schools as well as training sports education teachers who will in return be directly involved in helping the ministry in the programme implementation from their respective schools.

The government, through the programme, seeks to reinforce its role in identifying young talents, by ensuring inclusion and equality of both boys and girls, and help them participate in big sports events.

Young athletes from the selected schools have been tipped to represent Rwanda at future big sports events like Paris 2024 or Dakar Summer Youth Olympics in 2026.

Lycee de Kigali is one of 17 schools benefiting from the first phase of the Isonga-AFD Programme in schools.

Others include GS Kabare, Kiziguro Secondary School, GS ADEGI, ES Nyamirama, IPM Mukarange, GS St Joseph Kabgayi, College Christ Roi Nyanza, GS Officiel de Butare, ENDP Karubanda, ES Kigoma, ISF Nyamasheke, GS Birambo, College de Gisenyi, Groupe Scolaire St Aloys Rwamagana

GS Nyirangarama and GS de la Salle Gicumbi.

The Ministry of Sports and stakeholders are now focused on building new sports infrastructures as well renovate existing one at selected schools to ensure that the program succeeds.