Reports

REPORT ON RWANDA YOUTH FOOTBALL PROMOTION TOURNAMENT ORGANISED BY APR FOOTBALL ACADEMY FROM 28^TH-30^TH AUGUST 2009. 

In an interest to promoting grass root youth football in Rwanda, the army Team APR Football Club developed an initiative of having a youth football Academy from age 5years to 17 years old.

This year they organized a regional youth football tournament called Rwanda Youth Football Promotion organized by their youth Academy APR Football Academy. 

From Uganda they invited Hormsdallen Primary Primary school Academy from Kamwokya . The Ugandan contingent comprised of 83 players of U8, U12, U14 groups and ten officials and a representative from Uganda Youth Football Association-UYFA and Federation of Uganda Football Associations-FUFA Mr. Ssemugenyi Abdu Sulaiman. 

Other Academies invited included Nyiragongo Football Academy from Goma Democratic Republic of Congo, Lion Academy from Western province and Impala Academy from Northern province but an Academy from Burundi never turned up. 

The intention of this football promotion is the APR Football Club to build a strong team by selecting youth players throughout Rwanda. 

On arrival in Kigali at 7pm, all delegations from both Uganda and Congo were received by Captain Murara Kamarade with other military officials and escorted us to the camp site at Eglise Presbyterien au Rwanda at Gikondo. 

On 28^th August,2009, it was a day for officials and players to tour different sites as per tournament organizers. Among the sites toured included Rwanda Genocide Memorial Site at Gisozi to see the mass graves of the genocide victims of more than One Hundred Twenty Thousand Genocide Victim Human remains. 

The site comprised two sites that is external and internal sites.

In the external site is where the mass graves are and interior is for the samples of human remains, pictures, photographs of victims and other explanations how the genocide was carried out from the start to the end. The second stair of the interior shows the Yugoslave genocide of Europe especially in Serbia. 

Children bellow 13 years are not allowed to visit this site to avoid Psychological torture after seeing and hearing the human remains and explanations.

After this tour, officials were hosted to a lunch at Restaurant Bar Chez John Kiyovu. 

At 3pm, officials returned to the camp site Eglise Presbyterien au Rwanda to collect the players and went to Rafiki Village [Orphanage Home],  Nyamata 30 kms East of Kigali in Bugesera province catering for 19 children from 6months to 3 years and it is under the South African Volunteers headed by Reverend DR. Elisee Musemakweri, president EPR and Rosemary Jensen President Rafiki Foundation.

APR on behalf of the players donated some items[Food, soap, balls,] to the orphans. 

At Rafiki Village, the contingent was received by Madam Patty Jers and other members.

From Bugesera Nyamata Rafiki Village, we proceeded to Kigali International Airport Kanombe, Amahoro Stadium Remera, Parliament of Rwanda, and back to the campsite.

Rafiki Foundation has a branch in Uganda , Wakiso district having more than  two hundred children. In all this , the delegation was led by Captain Murara Kamarade. 

Two children from Uganda and Rwanda were chosen to speak on behalf of fellow children namely Robert from Uganda appreciated the gesture extended to them as children to visit fellow orphaned children because it would not be good to play only football without knowing their brothers and sisters who are really in need of help. Robert thanked the tournament organizers and the Rafiki Village proprietors for accepting them to meet and play with their brothers and sisters to share the day’s joy. 

Sengiyunva from a Karere Kagasibwa Rwanda on behalf of fellow Rwandese children said “ I came from to Kigali to play football and iam happy to visit such disadvantaged brothers and sisters.

Captain Murara Kamarade expressed his and government appreciation to Rafiki Home care takers for this wonderful initiative and promised them to be the Home ambassador in their cause and taking the message to the higher authority. 

Madam Petty Jers thanked the leader of delegation for thinking about visiting the home and requested them to visit the home frequently to share with the children.    

29^th August, 2009, the official opening of the tournament was opened by General Ceaser at Nyamirambo. 

                                            ORGANISATION

Being the first time to organize such a regional  we say it was well organized  because all age categories were taken care of and the under age that is U8 played in the early hours to avoid playing during much sunshine. 

U12 and U15 were playing after the other such that the preliminary rounds could be completed at the same day. 

The Academies that had U15 side, included APR, Lion and Impala ,this prompted the organizers to call upon the FERWAFA U15 Academy to boost the tournament by balancing the U15 side. 

                                                ACCOMMODATION

All the tournament participants were accommodated at Eglise Presbyterien au Rwanda-EPR at Gikondo Kigali which accommodated more than two hundred players from Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. The only Academy that never camped with others was APR because majority of the players were coming from home and those selected from distant areas were camped at APR Football club. 

                                                     MEALS.

All the tournament participants were provided with nice meals right from break fast to supper and it was served at self service to give players their choice of consumption.

During match tournament, break fast and lunch were served at the Stadiums. That is at the first day, matches were played at Nyamirambo Regional Stadium and finals played at Amahoro Stadium Remera. 

                                                   HOSPITALITY 

This was first class and everybody was friendly and players and officials enjoyed associating freely which turned into brotherhood.

Internal transport was provided throughout from touring  to the final tournament day whereby they hired Volcano Transport Company to provide the service. 

                                            CHALLENGES 

On our way to Rwanda, Hormsdallen had not finalized with the players’ and some officials  travel documents without passports, their temporary travel permits were acquired from the Katuna border which delayed us at the border for more than three hours because the only three Immigration officers at Katuna are handling many clients both entering and exiting. 

Secondary, after reaching the camp site at Eglise Presbyterien au Rwanda, during the night while sleeping , one player Hasakya Faraj fell down from a double Decker bed and a tooth was broken but was quickly attended to by the camp site medical official DR.Abdou Ngabo who had sleepless and restless nights and days throughout the tournament supervising more than thirty rooms to ensure maximum health of occupants. 

                                               APPRECIATION   

We extend our sincere appreciation to Rwanda Police force that were stationed at and patrolled the camp site who were cordial to every body throughout our stay. We cannot forget to thank the private security personnel in charge of the camp site security who were eager to help the Ugandan contingent after knowing their language problem . 

After the tournament, all the respective Academy officials were hosted  to a fare well reception at Nyenyeri  for the last interaction before each heading for home.[Ssemugenyi did not attend it because had to supervise and check the players’ rooms to avoid unnecessary indiscipline when all officials were a way] 

At the closing the Secretary General Uganda Youth Football Association was given an opportunity to address  the football fraternity at Amahoro Stadium.

He thanked the tornament organizers , APR Academy for invite the Ugandan Academy to participate in this first historical  event. He also thanked the organizers on behalf of Federation of Uganda Football Association-FUFA  for the hospitality extended to the Ugandan delegation and others throughout the tournament. 

He pledged to forge a Youth football working relationship with Rwanda youth football promotion for a better regional grass root football development in order to have several international Football professionals. 

He assured Rwanda Youth Football Promotion Committee that once an earlier invitation is issued for next year’s tournament, more Ugandan Academies will come and participate. 

                               TROPHIES AND MEDALS AWARD CEREMONY  

This was presided over by General Ceaser ho was the chief guest, appreciated and commended the initiative made by APR Football Club and its Academy for organizing such regional tournament and appealed to other Rwandan Football Clubs to do the same as APR has done such that Rwanda get more talents from all corners of Rwanda who would feed the national Team. 

He thanked all youth Academies and individual players for accepting APR’s invitation to participate in the concluded tournament and said it was a challenge to Rwanda and pledged that once their respective countries organize the same, Rwanda will come. 

More so extended the Government gratitude to Uganda Youth Football Association and the Federation of Uganda Football Association-FUFA for being fully represented which he said was a morale booster to the players. 

He presented the trophies to all winners and medals to Hormsdallen Primary school Academy players and officials and Ssemugenyi Abdu ‘s medal was presented to him by Captain Murara Kamarade the tournament chief organizer.