By Josue KWIHANGANA

Muhanga’s young talented athletes in sports could find themselves superstars by 2030 as a district want to become a sport center in Rwanda.

Muhanga district is one of the eight districts comprising Southern province. It is subdivided into twelve sectors. The district covers an area of six hundred forty seven point seven square kilometers.

The initiative came after looking the different players from huge disciplines of sports across the country who are born and raised in Muhanga and today plays or had played years ago for some clubs countrywide and even abroad. The district also saw how easy it is to build schools for sports in an area of a number of talents seem to them as an opportunity to develop those talents as well as the how it can contribute to economic development of the district through this sector of sports.

What sports domains they want to detect talents from?

Football, basketball and volleyball are leading disciplines the district wants to invest for development across the region.

“There are a huge number of children engaged in playing football, basketball as well as volleyball from our district. This is a big opportunity to us as leaders of Muhanga. We looked forward on what we can do to develop their talents and what necessary is to build the school teaching football, basketball and volleyball so as to develop their talents. Sports has shown that it is a big industry in whole world and can be one sector of development in terms of money it generate to the government of any country in one way or another. That is why we tried to take initiation in establishing academies and grassroots for young talents”. Said by Moyer of Muhanga district.

The project is said to be started by the end of this year 2024 and run with the aim of getting elites graduate by the year of 2030

How this project will be achieved?

As planned, the first project will be the creation of playing ground for football in every sector of the district, in total there are twelve sectors that means there will be also twelve playing grounds.

How talents will be identified. Identifying talent in sport can be a tough challenge. From grassroots to elite there are numerous scouts and coaches who will attend the talent detection in whole sectors of Muhanga to try and uncover the hidden talents in that discipline of sports.

In each sector there will be a coach for football, one of basketball and other for volleyball that is to mean there will be three coaches to detect young talents in football, basketball and volleyball. After identifying talents, those who will be selected, they will be deployed in school of football, basketball and volleyball respectively.

Who will be selected at what conditions? Being talented as well as having age between six years old to fifteen years old will be automatically selected.

Talent detection has become increasingly important across a number of domains. Within sports in Rwanda, it is becoming more important than ever since the teams are desperate to try and recruit the best players to help them succeed.

The process of detecting talents in these schools will begin from a young age. Talent identification process start at a young age to ensure the individual receives at least ten years of deliberate practice that is widely recognized as a necessity on the pathway to elitism.

Muhanga district is home to a senior club known as AS Muhanga football club. The club is now playing second division championship after relegating from first division in 2020/2021 season. The club is also partly sponsored by the district and it is through this club all the graduate footballers will join this team as their passage while they are waiting to join other superior both local and international and play as professionals.

There is no professional basketball or volleyball club found in this district but they are planning to establish the clubs for which the graduates will play in and be the passage to other clubs as that of AS Muhanga in football will do.

We can reminder you that Muhanga district is a home to a number of footballers like Rwandan international defender Mutsinzi Ange Jimmy, AS Kigali striker Ernest Sugira, best APR FC left back Niyomugabo Jean Claude and APR FC striker Yannick Bizimana among others.

Muhanga football academy will not be the first in the country because they are other different academies in different parts of Rwanda like in Gatsibo ,Rubavu, Kigali and many others.

We can also remind you that recently, the French giant Paris Saint Germain in partnership with Rwanda through visit Rwanda campaign, the French side has opened academy located in Huye district. This academy is believed to develop young footballers with the capacities to play on international level

I believe this initiative taken by district of Muhanga will bring a much support to the development of sports in the country especially in football and it is a responsibility for every Rwandan to support this idea and by 2030 our country will be full of talents which will lead to the economic development as well.