Minister Habineza challenges Ferwaka on good ideas

Sports minister Joseph Habineza has no doubt that a sport like Karate can “do wonders” once given the support but he says the Rwanda Karate Federation (Ferwaka) has to challenge him with good ideas on how to develop the sport. In an interview with Times Sport, on Wednesday, Habineza stressed that the federation has to plan better and be more proactive. Habineza said: “The most important element is usually planning. What do we need in karate? It is more about human resources. And this can be easily developed. It is about bringing a trainer of trainers so as to have massive development.” “What is required is for them [Ferwaka] to contact us (the ministry of sports) and show us a three year strategic plan.” Before this month ends, the minister hopes to meet all sports federation and district leaders in a bid to chart out ways how to ably involve the latter in sustainable sports development at the grass roots. Last October, Ferwaka managed to bring in Tamer Abdel-Raouf, a 30-year-old Egyptian who starred in the 2010 world championships, to train the national team as it readied for the World Karate Federation (WKF) Championships in November. “That is all that we want,” the minister said, but he notably regretted a challenge in the ministry as there are directors who are “old and not creative” enough to stimulate sports development. Habineza categorically said that finding and bringing in a new quality Karate coach is easy and it is not all about money. “If you wait to have money, you will never achieve anything. Even in a bank, what comes first is the good business idea. Now, for this Egyptian, we could even negotiate with their embassy here and they bring him,” Habineza said. “But federations as well should engage us. They should challenge me. I want to be challenged. I can’t know everything, I need to be informed and advised. I take any good suggestion and advice and work on it.” Habineza acknowledged that there are “dinosaur sports like football” that take a huge chunk of his ministry’s small budget. Nonetheless, he noted, if Ferwaka brings good development ideas, money should never be a problem. editorial@newtimes.co.rw