Sports has played key role in post genocide recovery

Government has been instrumental in promoting sports empowerment programmes around the country and in the region since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Twenty years since the horrible tragedy that claimed lives of over a million people, sports has played a big role to promote peace, unity and reconciliation among Rwandans. Several sports memorial tournaments have been organised in various sports disciplines in honour of the sportsmen and women, families and fans, who lost their lives during the 1994 Genocide. The government has an ambitious programme to create a peaceful society through the use of sports. Before 1994, Rwanda was divided mainly along the Tutsi and Hutu tribal lines, which culminated in the Genocide. But the heavy investment in sports by the post-genocide government has helped to deal with emotional challenges of the horrible tragedy. Today, Rwandans are identified as one without the Hutu - Tutsi linings and thanks to good unifying mechanisms through sports and others. Today, Hutu and Tutsi players play alongside each for clubs and country without any form of discrimination. Government support has helped the country to build a strong and organised sports system. Sports and football in particular, has helped to unite the people of Rwanda, who no longer talk about ethnic groupings but always strive for collective success. The government of Rwanda has spent quite large sums of money to support the construction and promotion of various sports infrastructure and events across the country. The government, together with the local soccer governing body, Ferwafa, has invested a lot in youth development programmes and in maintaining national teams at a relatively admirable level internationally. After the admission of Rwanda to the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) in 1997, the government has played a key role in participation and promotion of the regional body. The people of Rwanda have been able to interact with others from different countries through various sports programmes. This has created a good environment for people from around the region to share life experiences and learn from each other. It is also important to mention that the spirit exemplified by the Rwandan government in terms of financial support to sports and football in particular has simplified Cecafa’s work whenever Kigali is the host. Perhaps it is one of the reasons why regional tournaments have been more popular in Rwanda than its neighbours. Rwanda’s contribution has been multi - dimensional, promoting soccer in the region, helping the country improve on her international image and uniting its people who were deeply divided before and during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. But more importantly Rwanda has been able to build its image locally and project herself positively on the international scene while diverting the attention of nationals from genocide memories and ideologies. Sponsorship of the Cecafa Kagame Cup is one of the important initiatives to highlight. President Paul Kagame has sponsored the regional club championship to a tune of US$60,000 annually since 2002. Continued support of sports by the government has been recognised internationally and this is why Rwanda was entrusted by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to host the under-20 African Youth Championships in 2009 and U-17 African Youth Championships in 2011. This was a vote of confidence by the continental football governing body towards the Rwandan government for its stride to peaceful reconstruction of the country through sports and particularly football.