We need a proper national sports strategy

Editor, RE: “League title is ours to lose, says Rayon coach” (The New Times, May 9). I wonder if the level of development and technology goes hand in hand with the level of sports development in the country. However, I think that level doesn’t guarantee talented players in their respective fields. Does being among “developing” countries prevent a nation from producing professional players? Perhaps sports minister Julienne Uwacu should initiate a debate around this. How do we engage our young population to take up sports as source of income? Today, the highly paid people on the planet are players and musicians, and yet we still cannot put our time and energy into that. Sports is and should be the first source of employment if we invest into it heavily. Just think of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and their income per week. Football pays off. If we cannot produce the likes of Messi, why not try the likes of Mbwana Samatha? Those are players who earn $10,000 a week. Think of athletics, and the millions of money such people as Usain Bolt earn. Why can’t we run? And, is basketball that hard to produce Rwanda’s Dikebe Mutombo? Basketball remains the highest paying sports discipline in the US. Food for thought: is it harder to produce at least 10 prominent ladies in the world of fashion? Rwanda can surely produce as many as Naomi Campbells as possible. Isn’t it lovely that one day the world’s most classic fashionistas spray a perfume named after a Rwandan name, say Umutoni? Yulian

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We need a proper national sports strategy