CAN U-20 – everything is moving to plan

The African Youth U-20 Championship Local Organizing Committee has denied suggestions that preparations for next year’s event in Kigali are behind schedule.

Responding to yesterday’s Times Sport lead story in which we reported that there seem to be little progress as far getting ready for the continental championship is concerned, the secretary general in the ministry of Sports and Culture said that everything is moving according to plan.

Jean Pierre Karabaranga, who is also the vice chairman of the tournament’s Local Organizing Committee said, "It’s not true to say that we’re not doing anything because as far as we’re concerned, everything is well within our schedule.”

"The minimum requirements will be ready by the time of the championship. It’s not like we plan to construct a brand new stadium or hotels, what we need to do is to refurnish what we already have,” he noted.

According to Karabaranga, work on Nyamirambo stadium should get underway as early as next week while Amahoro stadium should be ready in a month’s time.

He refuted allegations that with just 182 days remaining, the tournament organizing committee is not doing enough to make sure everything is ready in time for the event.
 "We’re not just seated and doing nothing. We’re actually working relentlessly behind the scene though we’re not doing much publicity.

"It’s not a must that we publicize whatever we’re doing at the moment but when the right comes, Rwandans will realize the work we’re doing,” the Minispoc SG emphasized.

In yesterday’s story, we reported that Nyamirambo stadium, which according to the ministry’s initial plan was supposed to undergo total reconstruction the African Youth Championship is way far behind scheduled in terms of the work to be made on it and the time remaining.

However, Karabaranga cleared the air when he said, "Nyamirambo (stadium) doesn’t need total reconstruction. Instead there are just a few things that need to be worked on, which we believe shall be ready done in time for the championship.”

"Hosting this event is not something that should give us sleepless nights. We (Rwanda) has hosted bigger events in the past than an eight-team tournament.

"Actually, if you look at what is required for us to stage a memorable tournament, I must say that, almost everything is available and ready.

"We have the hotels, transportation and the security is the best you can ask for, so to assume that we may not be ready by January is not true,” he stated.

However, the tournament local organizing committee vice chairman must realize that the same thing was said about Amahoro being ready in time for the start of the 2010 World/African Cup qualifiers that got underway at the end of May and until today, it’s nowhere near being declared usable.

Ends