Second football Genocide memorial tourney for June

Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) will for the second time organise a memorial tournament in June to honor football players, officials and administrators who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The exact dates for the tournament to be played at Amahoro National Stadium will be confirmed before the end of the April, officials said. Over 70 football players were killed in the Genocide. Some teams that lost players include; Mukura Victory Sports, SC Kiyovu, Rayon Sports, Panthère Noire, Etincelles, Gishamvu, Mukungwa, Terminus and Kilo Volte. The first edition of the memorial tournament was staged two years ago and was played on a round-robin format, attracting four countries namely; Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and hosts Rwanda. As the sports fraternity joins the rest of the country to mark commemorate, all sports events have been put on hold until April 13. FERWAFA president Vincent Nzamwita has urged sportsmen and women, specifically football lovers, to stay united and preach love as Rwandans remember their loved ones who died during the Genocide. “During this period, we remember our loved ones who lost their lives during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Let’s remember them, as we strive for self-reliance and fight against any genocide ideology so that it never occurs in our country again, or in the region and in the whole world,” Nzamwita said. Meanwhile, all local sports federations have been urged by Ministry of Sports and Culture to organise events to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The Director of Sports in the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Emmanuel Bugingo, also called upon all sportsmen and women to be part of activities during the commemoration period that started on Friday. Bugingo also urged sports federations and sportsmen and women to help the survivors during this period. “The sports fraternity should be part of the whole (commemoration) period to help those who survived, and it is our duty to fight against revisionism,” he said. Running under the theme, “Remember the Genocide against the Tutsi – Fight Genocide Ideology – Build on Our Progress,” this year’s anniversary will be an occasion for Rwandans from all walks of life to pay tribute to the more than one million innocent lives lost and visit the memorials where victims are buried. editorial@newtimes.co.rw