Rwanda’s growing status as a top sporting destination has gained a major boost lately, with the country successfully hosting major pan-African competitions within days of each other. After playing host to the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) in May, the Kigali Arena has over the last two weeks been the site of a magnificent showcase of African talent in the form of the Afrobasket finals 2021. The curtains came down on the colourful event in style on Sunday with Tunisia successfully defending their crown – its third Afrobasket title overall – in a close contest against West African powerhouse Cote d’Ivoire, which ended 78-75 in favour of the North African giants. The closeness of the game mirrored the overall performance throughout the tournament, with many fixtures going right down to the wire. As was BAL, the Afrobasket tournament was a true showcase of African basketball talent and potential. And, two days after the Afrobasket tournament came to a close and before some of the delegations could even arrive back to their bases, the Kigali Arena welcomes volleyball contingents from around the continent for the 2021 CAVB Volleyball Nation’s Championships. Tournaments for both men and women will be taking place, with the men’s competition getting underway Tuesday, September 7. Contrary to the inaugural BAL season, which saw several roles such as mceeing, announcing and deejaying go to foreign nationals, several locals in the showbiz industry were handed the opportunity to play most of those roles at the just-concluded Afrobasket tourney. We hope the same happens during the volleyball championships over the next two weeks. But, opportunities that come with Rwanda hosting interventional sporting events are more than just playing a direct role during tournaments. From hotels to transporters to other service providers, there are different actors involved in making sure that visiting teams and other delegations have a memorable and seamless experience during their stay. Yet, service providers and individual professionals entrusted with whatever role in the run-up or during these tournaments or shortly after need to serve professionally and to provide the best service possible. In a way, how these service providers do their job could determine whether tournaments have been successful or not. For many, this could come as a lifeline for their business in view of the devastating impact of the pandemic, but it also represents an important boost for Rwanda’s agenda to sell itself as a sporting destination. It’s an opportunity we cannot afford to squander through poor service.
