Ferwafa to organise regional memorial tourney

Rwanda Football Federation is planning to organise a genocide memorial tournament for regional national teams in June, the federation president Vincent Nzamwita has revealed. The national football governing body has never organised a tournament in memory of the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. However, Nzamwita told Saturday Sport that, while it has taken too long for the federation to hold a memorial tournament, the first one will be worth the wait as it will attract teams from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania in addition to the home teams. The Rwandan football fraternity was deeply affected by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed an undocumented number of players, coaches, administrators and fans. So far, over 70 victims have been identified; some teams that lost players include Mukura, SC Kiyovu, Rayon Sports, Panthère Noire, Etincelles, Gishamvu, Mukungwa, Terminus and Kilo Volte. “We are planning how we can organise this event; we are looking for sponsorship to help us arrange the worthwhile event. We are looking at how we can have teams from East African Community participate,” Nzamwita disclosed on Friday. Since 1995, only Mukura Victory Sport, has organised memorial tournaments in honour of their players, officials and fans, who died during the genocide, but due to lack of funds, the tournament has not been held for the last five years.