Did we all fall in Beraho’s trap?

I read with disbelief that Rwanda National Olympic Committee has once again postponed their general elections. This is the second time the polls have been postponed. The election has now been moved from December 2008 to a date yet to be confirmed by the lager than life Olympic Committee president Ignace Beraho. A delay by several local sports bodies in legalizing their status has made the local Olympic Committee to keep away from electing new office bearers, months after the term of office for the Beraho-led administration expired, and several local sports are still chasing the necessary paperwork to legalize their existence. However, what beats by understanding is that Mr. Beraho has been at the helm of Rwanda’s Olympic sports for eight years and as a seasoned sports administrator its should have crossed his mind that the national Olympics body and its affiliate associations are all but only two carrying out their work illegal. Why does he have to wait until the end of his tenure to rush the process? Why doesn’t this make some sports lovers think that the good old sportsman is playing tricks? During last year’s RNOC’s extra-ordinary general assembly, it was revealed that RNOC and her member federations are operating illegally. The meeting which was attended by a few federations was graced by the Minister of Sport and Culture Joseph Habineza. RNOC Jurisdiction committee president Philbert Rutagengwa confirmed that the national Olympic Committee and her members (local sports federations) are operating illegally. Of all the twenty federations which constitute the local Olympic committee, it’s only the Karate (Ferwaka) and chess (Ferwade) federations which meet the new drafted rules and regulations. The others including the local football governing body (Ferwafa), the volleyball federation (FRVB) and Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC) are still operating under the 1987 law. In another quack move, sources within the Rwandan Olympics body have revealed that Ascoki was also sneaked into the committee as an affiliate member. How on earth can athletes from a fishermen’s play for fun grouping represent a nation at Olympic Games? This is what Beraho and his people at the committee want us to believe! In his eight years at the helm of the Olympic Committee, Rwanda has recorded one Olympic medal in Jean de Dieu Nkundabera who won a bronze medal during the 2004 Athens Paralympics Games. Now, the authoritarian RNOC boss has embarked on coaching national athletes to realize what he calls his dream of seeing Rwanda win a medal at the 2012 London Games. The veteran administrator also says that he has plans to introduce Canoe Kayaking, another Olympic sport in the country. Let us be objective in our ambitions, we haven’t reached the level of introducing more Olympics sports yet we haven’t yet the ones we proud ourselves in are run mapped by mediocrity. Beraho has confirmed that he’s not to seeking a re-election after eight unfruitful years at the helm of the sports body. Though the veteran administrator is not standing for re-election, he has hinted that he will stay in the Rwandan Olympics movement in some capacity. Contact: Kas2dani@yahoo.com or dkasule@newtimes.co.rw