Step aside Kenya, Rwanda is the new sports event destination in Africa
Rwanda President Paul Kagame (centre) receives the CAF President Outstanding Achievement Award from CAF President Patrice Motsepe (right) and FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the Fifa Congress in Kigali.
What you need to know:
- However, there is a neighbouring country jostling to fill up the space occupied by Kenya and, my word, she is barrelling in like a 200kg territorial, silverback male mountain gorilla at full charge.
- That country is tiny Rwanda with a land mass of 26,798 square km, that is slightly bigger than Mandera County.
I think Kenyans are the most boastful Africans, only second to Nigerians.
Their online posts leave no doubt what they think of the rest of the continent, deliriously disparaging the others while seeing no wrong at home.
For instance, you will never hear the last of Kenyans saying they are the biggest economy in East and Central Africa, never mind Ethiopia’s and Tanzania’s economies are projected to overtake us soon.
Another time they are sharing pictures of the Nairobi Expressway and other landmarks and declaring that “The Green City is in the Sun” is incomparable to Kampala, Dar es Salaam and Kigali.
Kenyans have a field day in sports to strut their superiority.
They take huge pride in being the most successful African nation at the Olympic Games, in terms of the number of medals won.
They are only too happy to mock Africa’s most populous nation and biggest economy Nigeria, Africa’s “Europe” South Africa, and local neighbours Tanzania and Uganda for playing second fiddle.
Oh, the audacity of being Kenyan. But you cannot really blame them for these flights of self-praise especially in sports.
Indeed Kenya is the most successful athletics nation in the world going by its performance at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, African Games, World Athletic Championships, major city road races et al.
The country has played host to many global sports events. The biggest held is the 1987 All Africa Games (now African Games) in Nairobi.
Kenya co-hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup. The country also hosted the 2007 World Cross Country Championship in Mombasa.
The World Rally Championship Safari Rally has been held in Kenya for many, many years, while Nairobi has been the venue for the prestigious World Tour Kenya Open golf tournament.
Africa Cup of Nations
The country did win rights to host the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2019 African Nations Championships, but sadly failed to stage these big continental football tournaments because of lack of political goodwill and inadequate preparations.
There is now talk of preparing bids for the 2027 World Athletics Championship and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
It is thus understandable for Kenyans to be immodest about the country’s sporting achievements.
However, there is a neighbouring country jostling to fill up the space occupied by Kenya and, my word, she is barrelling in like a 200kg territorial, silverback male mountain gorilla at full charge.
That country is tiny Rwanda with a land mass of 26,798 square km, that is slightly bigger than Mandera County.
Also known as, “The Land of a Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is increasingly becoming a sports event destination of choice in Africa.
The country hosted the 73rd Fifa Congress last Thursday that brought together over 2,000 delegates from 211 national federations. During the congress, Fifa president Gianni Infantino was re-elected unopposed.
It was the first time in as long as I can remember, Fifa was holding its presidential elections outside its Zurich headquarters. Amidst the visit by football leaders, Rwanda inaugurated the renovated Kigali Nyamirambo Stadium, renamed Kigali Pele Stadium, last Wednesday.
The stadium’s capacity was increased to 15,000 with Fifa contributing $350,000 (Sh45.3 million) to the project.
President Paul Kagame, showing all the right optics, not only attended a festive football match during the inauguration, but also put on boots, a jersey and shorts, stepped onto the pitch and had a kick-about to the delight of the audience.
Kagame has led from the front with his government investing heavily in sports infrastructure.
Work on upgrading the Amahoro Stadium from a 25,000-capacity to 45,000-capacity started in 2021 and is projected to cost $165 million (Sh21.5 billion). It will be completed next year.
Amahoro Stadium hosted the final of the 2016 Chan that was being held in an East African country for the first time in history. The biennial tournament features 16 African countries.
10,000-seater arena
In 2017, Rwanda unveiled a $1.3 million (Sh169.65 million) cricket stadium in Kigali and in August 2019 officially opened a 10,000-seater arena, called BK Arena, that cost $104 million (Sh13.6 billion).
The four-storey, multi-purpose facility has been a game changer for the land of a thousand hills. It enabled Rwanda to successfully host the inaugural 2019 Basketball Africa League (BAL) that featured 12 top African teams.
BK Arena was also the stage for the 2021 men’s volleyball African Nations Championship and the African Women's Volleyball Championship.
Rwanda also invested in a $16 million (Sh2.1 billion) 18-hole golf course in Kigali that was opened in 2021.
Did I also mention that Rwanda has, since 1988, staged the world renowned Tour du Rwanda, a 2.1 category Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) road race.
To illustrate how cycling has developed in Rwanda, UCI awarded the East African nation the rights to host the 2025 Road World Championships that will involve 11 events. This will be the first time that the 96-year-old world event is being held in Africa.
Kudos Rwanda, but do you say.....
