Indatwa n’Inkesha School, formerly Groupe Scolaire Officielle de Butare are planning to build an international standard volleyball gymnasium at the school’s premises.

According to the school headmaster, Father Celestin Rwirangira, the gymnasium, when completed, will be able to host international matches.

"We have started the plan and we are in negotiation with the contraction company to build the field, and we hope by the end of this year, we would have an international standard volleyball court and gymnasium at our school,” he revealed an interview with Sunday Sport last Friday.

He noted, "We need to facilitate our students and team to play in good conditions and get used to using facilities with international standards.”

The Huye-based Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare in the Southern Province is one of the oldest high schools in Rwanda and for decades, their volleyball team has always dominated inter-schools competitions but also a tough opposition in national volleyball league.

Right after the volleyball game was first established in Rwanda, at Save in the early 1960’s,the former Groupe scolaire d’Astrida followed suit and started to promote the game in the school which ended up in a promotion to the first division in 2005.

Groupe Scolaire Officielle de Butare has produced some of the country’s top volleyball players like the APR duo of Yves Mutabazi and Bonnie Mutabazi, INATEK’s Richard Muhirwa, Jean Claude Ndayishimye Oxygen, Olivier Ntagengwa, Guillaume Irakarama and Clement Musabe, who play for the National University of Rwanda team. 

Others include the Kigali Volleyball Club pair of Jules Singizwa and Joseph Ndahiro as well as Qatar-based Placide Sibomana Madison.

Among the current U21 and U19 national teams are Nelson Murangwa, Iva Nsabimana Maroho, Fred Mutabazi Rufu, and Isaac Iradukunda among others.