Rwanda to host Commonwealth Games Federation meet

FORthe first time, the regional African Meeting for the Commonwealth Games Federations will be held in Kigali. The two-day meeting is set for Thursday and Friday at Kigali Marriott Hotel, and will focus on discussing ways of providing the Commonwealth Games Associations with the opportunity to engage, and discuss important issues relating to the Commonwealth Sports Movements as well as providing feedback to the Commonwealth Games Federation. According to the Rwanda National Olympics and Sports Committee (RNOSC), this is a very important meeting for Rwanda as the host country and the local sports fraternity. As hosts, Rwanda’s benefits include; assistance for athlete’s preparations and participation in the Commonwealth Games, project support for promotion of gender equality in sports, scholarship program for coaches and administrators for sports, creating partnerships with Commonwealth sports family and support for its 2015-2022 strategic plans. RNOSC expects representatives from 18 African countries to attend the meet. Among the important guests expected for meeting include; the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) president Hamad Kalkaba Malboum and the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Louise Martin. Others are; Miriam Moyo, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Zambia and the CGF’s Regional Vice President for Africa and Gideon Sam, the Vice-President of the Commonwealth Games Federation. The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal sovereign states. Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in November 2009 during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad & Tobago, becoming the association’s 54th member. Rwanda made her Commonwealth Games debut at the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi, taking part in athletics, boxing, road cycling and swimming. The 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games will be held in The Bahamas and it is expected to be the largest international sporting event ever, attracting up to 1300 athletes aged 14-18. editorial@newtimes.co.rw