RWANDAN RIDERS Janvier Hadi and Valens Ndayisenga have been shortlisted among 24 cyclists nominated for the 2013 Africa Cyclist of the Year Award. This is one of the major events on the international cycling calendar. Although not considered as one of the most popular games in the country, cycling in Rwanda is fast gaining global fame mainly catapulted by the popular Tour of Rwanda. The nomination of Hadi and Ndayisenga should push us to rethink our strategy on what we perceive as ‘periphery sports disciplines’ and how much resources we allocate to them. No sport is too small or more prominent than the other.Each holds the same potential to put the country on the global map. This cycling story should be an eye opener. Ndayisenga and Hadi have flown the Rwandan flag high regardless of whether any of the youngsters wins the coveted title or not.This is a big leap for our sports industry and it comes on the heels of the successful Tour of Rwanda which perhaps marketed the country more than any other sporting event in recent past. That Cycling can give us such global visibility, it’s time we also invested in the sport to reap the benefits. Like cycling, volleyball and basketball are up there. These are sports disciplines where we have featured on the international stage.The national volleyball senior team has already qualified for the final round of FIVB World Cup championships qualifiers.The basketball team is also fresh from participating in Africa championships Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, where it performed fairly well against some of the best sides on the continent.Focusing only on football might blind us from seeing the golden potential we have in the other disciplines. So far, volleyball, basketball and cycling have showed promising potential.We need to draw a strategic plan to popularise these games right from the grassroots up to the national level. This can be achieved if we put more effort and resources in these sports disciplines, without necessarily abandoning football.
