Legacy is all about the impact one makes during their lifetime, and often helps in deciding the kind of life we want to lead, and the world we want to leave behind. The same is true for football referee Vagne Muneza. Speaking to the Weekend sport on Wednesday, he revealed that his aim is to strive at carrying on the dream of his father, Jonathan Bitagura, 54, who could not make it to the top of the world football. The 26-year-old is a sports enthusiast, with a special focus on physical education. He is also a referee in the Rwandan top tier football league Growing up, Muneza recalls, he was inspired by his father’s passion for football and consistency in physical exercising. “Apart from being a fanatic of football, he also took time to get involved and play. That inspired me to follow in his footsteps,” he says. Unfortunately, he says, his father did not get a chance to showcase or take his talent to a high level because owing to limited opportunities during his time. “What keeps me moving is to ensure I continue with my father’s legacy, to make it in the world of sports – something that he never fulfilled. “My goal is to be the best as a sports teacher, and also reach the highest level of football refereeing on global stage.” Making steps in the world of sports Muneza’s keen interest in sports can be traced back during his primary school, and was further enhanced in secondary school. To him, choosing to major in physical education and sports at the University of Rwanda’s College of Education (UR-CoE) was an easy decision to make. Before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, he was working as a sports teacher at Green Hills Academy. “At the school, I also coached the girls’ football team and we were able to win the title of the International Schools Championship in Kigali,” he highlighted. In his budding career of refereeing, Muneza singles out being selected three times as one of the match officials for regional FEASSSA post-primary games; the 2017 edition in Uganda, 2018 in Musanze, Rwanda, and 2019 in Tanzania. Finding fulfillment in sports According to Muneza, Physical fitness should be an important part of young people because not only do they learn get fit through it, but they also learn values and life lessons when they work together towards a common goal – to win. “Training students how to focus on their abilities and potential beyond the classroom is fulfilling, and it keeps me going.”
