Table tennis federation, Chinese embassy to strengthen partnership

After years in slumber land, the sport of Table Tennis in Rwanda has awakened and the governing body is in line to benefit from a Chinese Embassy-sponsored annual tournament, the Ambassadors’ Cup, whose first edition was held last month. Later this month, the federation and the Chinese Embassy will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will detail terms of a long-term partnership with the mutual aim of developing table tennis in Rwanda; to promote good health, develop talent, and facilitate youth interaction. The inaugural tournament attracted players from 10 clubs in and outside of Kigali including; Gasabo Table Tennis Club, Vision TTC, Rilima TTC, Ubumwe TTC and Rafiki TTC. Trophies and medals were donated by the Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee (RNOSC) while the main sponsor, the Chinese Embassy, provided financial logistics. Rwanda Table Tennis Federation (RTTF) president, John Birungi, expressed gratitude to the Chinese Embassy for their support through the Ambassador’s Cup and for their partnership in training coaches, players and the donation of equipment to the federation. “Our partnership with the Chinese Embassy offers us an opportunity to not only support the growth and development of the sport in Rwanda, but it also allows us to create awareness and develop the sport within our community and have lasting impact,” Birungi told Times Sport. “We hope that the embassy, being our partners, will help bring about other partners,” he added. The purpose of the tournament was to establish a strong partnership between RTTF and the Chinese Embassy, which has always demonstrated the desire to promote table tennis in Rwanda, he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw