RCA celebrates 15 years of cricket

Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) and the entire local cricket fraternity will be celebrating 15 years of the sport in the country, with a series of events today. Affiliated to International Cricket Council (ICC) in June 2003, RCA was officially approved by the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC) in December 2000 and the game has since steadily grown to exceed expectations in a country where it was unknown. The anniversary celebrations starts at 10am with the official launch of Gahanda Cricket Oval, a 10,000-sitter cricket stadium in Kicukiro District, before holding a friendly game between Abakambwe (veterans) of Rwanda and Uganda’s Abagurusi at Kicukiro Cricket ground at 1pm. The 15th anniversary celebrations will be attended by, among others, former South Africa international pace-bowler Makhaya Ntini, who arrived in the country yesterday. The legendary Ntini was the first black cricketer to play for the South African national team, the Proteas. The anniversary ceremonies, which will wind up with a gala dinner at Century Park in Nyarutarama at 6pm, will also been graced by International Cricket Council (ICC) Africa chief Cassim Sulleiman, who arrived on Thursday. According to RCA general manager Joshua Mwanja, the Minister forSports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu, the Minister for Infrastructure, James Musoni, and the Mayor of the City of Kigali, Fidele Ndayisaba, as well as Kicukiro mayor Paul Jules Ndamage, are expected to grace the event.