Placide Sibomana: From humble beginnings to volleyball stardom

VOLLEYBALL is one of the most popular sports disciplines in Rwanda, and over the years, the sport has produced stars and legends. Some (of the legends) have gone on to become high profile political figures in the country. To mention a few; Rwanda senate president Bernard Makuza, Rwanda’s ambassador to the Netherlands Jean Pierre Karabaranga, former Ministers of Sports and Culture Joseph Habineza and Robert Bayigamba, are all former volleyball players. The sport has not only produced volleyball stars, generation after generation, but has also brought to limelight some of the country’s most sensational and most renowned athletes. Before the rise of cycling in 2014, volleyball was arguably Rwanda’s best performing sporting discipline – locally and internationally – but ever since, corruption scandals hit the volleyball governing body and results gradually faded. Challenges came, national teams missed some important tournaments on the continent but players remained and never stopped shining at individual level. In this issue, Saturday Sport profiles Placide Sibomana a.k.a Madison, one of the most celebrated volleyball players of the last decade. The center blocker plays for the reigning league champions, Gisagara Volleyball Club. He also plays for the national volleyball team. Who is Sibomana? Born on June 11, 1992 to Adrien Kamana and Fortunee Yamurage in Muhanga District, South Province, Sibomana was born the only child from the couple. He is married to Claudine Uwimana, with whom they have one daughter – Zoe Chloe Ishyo. Sibomana attended Ecole Primaire Shyanga in Muhanga district before going to Ecole Secondaire de Rutobwe where he did his O’level studies. After, he switched to EPM Kayonza for senior four, majoring in Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB) combination. After senior four, he relocated to Huye-based Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare (GSOB) for one year before moving to Group Scolaire Gahini in senior six where he earned his secondary school completion certificate in 2010. He enrolled to University of Rwanda – College of Education (UR- CoE) the following year, pursuing Physical Education and Biology but dropped out in 2012, while he was in second year at university, to focus on his volleyball career. The star blocker says he looks up to Pierre Marshal Kwizera and Fred Musoni for inspiration. Despite the passion for volleyball, the 26-year-old is also a football fan but argues he has no favorite club, locally or globally. Early days Just like most other ambitious African kids, Sibomana’s dream was to become to be a star professional footballer. He played football for his primary and secondary school teams until 2009 when he started having fun and loving volleyball at EPM Kayonza. “I was an avid footballer and I wanted to take it to a professional level – until 2009. Because of my height, one day I met Coach Dominique (Ntawangundi) and he immediately approached me insisting I would be a great volleyball player. That’s how I ditched football,” said Sibomana. Tactician Ntawangundi is a two-time league title winning coach with University of Kibungo (UNIK) and former assistant coach for the national team. Barely one year after officially committing to volleyball, Sibomana established himself very quickly to help GSOB win the national inter-schools’ championship in 2010. Club volleyball Sibomana made his league debut in 2010 with GSOB but it was not until 2011 that he signed his first contract with Lycee de Nyanza where he played for two seasons till mid-2012. After the two-year contract with the Nyanza-based side, Sibomana landed a professional contract with Qatar’s topflight league side Al-Arabi Sports Club, inking a five-year deal. However, he was loaned to All Shamal, still in Qatar, for one season before returning to the club in late 2014 for another season. After a below par season, Al-Arabi Sports Club released Sibomana, who was rapidly hijacked by archrivals division Al Ahli club for the 2015/16 campaign. The former Lycee de Nyanza center struggled with form and was only at Al Ahli club for four months before he crossed to Al-Gharafa Sports Club in 2016/17 where he helped the team to finish in seventh position from tenth spot they had recorded the previous season. After a stellar performance at Al-Gharafa, Sibomana was signed by Jordanian side Al Awdeh Youth Club in November 2017 but only played there for two months before both sides decided to mutually terminate the contract. He returned to Rwanda in January and was signed by Gisagara Volleyball Club, a side he has already inspired to retaining the league title and winning the Genocide Memorial Tournament so far this season. National team Sibomana received the first selection for the national team in the U19 youth team in 2009 before he was called up in the U21 team the following year. The team travelled to Brazil for a boot camp while preparing for the 2010 African Championship staged in Libya where they finished in fourth place after losing 3-0 to Egypt in semi-finals. In 2011, Sibomana received his maiden cap in the senior team and was part of the 12-player squad that won the regional Zone 5 championship held in Kigali. The hosts Rwanda edged Kenya in a five-set (3-2) thriller in the final at Amahoro Stadium. Since 2011, Sibomana would not feature for the national team until six years later when head coach Paul Bitok named him on the team that finished second in Zone 5 tournament in Kigali. Rwanda lost 2-3 to Kenya in the final. What others say about him Dominique Ntawangundi, the coach who influenced his transition from football and volleyball, describes Sibomana as “a kind and responsible man with a positive thinking, influential and a good leader on court. He knows the right thing to do at the right time”. Advice to young players “I would advise young players to come into volleyball not for the money but simply focus on learning and improving day-in-day-out, be disciplined and work hard. The rest will follow”. Note of appreciation “Many people have supported me since taking up volleyball as a profession, especially my former coach Ntawangundi. I will forever be indebted to him,” Sibomana told Saturday Sport. The Rwanda international also singled out his former Brazilian coach Paulo de Talso and current Gisagara coach Fidele Nyirimana as the other two most important individuals to his career. editorial@newtimes.co.rw