The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced today (5 October 2018) that Rwanda will host the 2019 CGF General Assembly and Strategic Forum. The General Assembly will be held in the capital city Kigali from 4-8 September 2019, marking the ten-year anniversary of Rwanda joining the list of Commonwealth Nations in 2009, and a year before Rwanda hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2020.
The national women’s beach volleyball team was yesterday eliminated from the ongoing Commonwealth Games after losing to Australia 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Denise Mutatsimpundu and Charlotte Nzayisenga, who were Rwanda’s representatives in the beach volleyball competition, were no match for the hosts who were dominant in both sets (21-9, 21-8).
Rwanda qualified for quarterfinals as second runners-up after coming back from two defeats to New Zealand and Vanuatu to beat Singapore.
Team coach Christophe Mudahinyuka said in an interview that although they failed to achieve their semifinal target, the players gained overview from playing against elite opposition.
“Playing against the best teams in the world, some of whom have professional players, has helped the team a lot and I am sure it will help us in the future,“ Mudahinyuka said.
Rwanda is one of only two nations – Mozambique being the other – to be admitted to the Commonwealth group of nations that were not colonised by Britain. That process was completed in 2009, before the country made its Commonwealth Games debut in Delhi, India in 2010, but this was the first appearance of Nzayisenga and Mutatsimpundu in the Games.
The 21st edition of the international multi-sport event kicked off on April 4 and will run through April 15 in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Paralympic Powerlifter Vedaste Niyonzima is out of the Games as well after finishing in ninth place out of 11 players that took part in the competition.
The Commonwealth Games Federation Africa Annual Regional meeting will this year take place in Lilongwe, Malawi. The two-days meeting is set from the 9th-10th February 2018.
This event will focus on how Commonwealth Games Associations (CGA’s) engage and discuss crucial issues of the Commonwealth Sports Movements as well as providing feedback to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). The meeting will also assist in building strong relationships between African countries.
About seventeen African countries are representing their Commonwealth Games Associations including Malawi as the host, Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Nigeria.
It’s expected that the CGF President, Ms. Louise Martin and the CGF Regional Development Manager, Ms. Ellen Barwise will join the participants.
Just to remind you that Commonwealth Games Federation Africa Annual Regional meeting 2017 has been successfully hosted by The Republic of Rwanda.
For Its first appearance to the Commonwealth Youth Games Rwanda won the first match in Beach Volleyball against Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 and in Tennis, HABIYAREMYE Ernest beat Emmanuel Plange from Ghana who is ranked number 8 in the Commonwealth Youth Games and 1195 on World ranking 2-0 (7-6; 6-4).
On second day, the The beach volleyball pair of girls, namely Penelope Musabyimana and Valentine Munezero lost their second match against the New Zealand 0-2 (10-21; 19-21).
As HABIYAREMYE Ernest the 1495th on World ranking continues his journey for qualification, the girls have just made Rwanda proud by qualifying to the Commonwealth Youth Games quarter finals in History. They smashed the Saint Lucia Team a straight forward game of 2-0 (21-15; 21-9).
The Commonwealth Youth Games are held every four years with age limitations for athletes of 14 up to 18. This year, the games are taking place in Bahamas from 19th to 23th July 2017.
Rwanda is being represented in Beach Vollyeball and Tennis.
Rwanda was pleased to join other members of the Commonwealth family across the world in commemorating Commonwealth Day 2017 for the first time, under the theme “A Peace-building Commonwealth”.
The Commonwealth day is celebrated every year on the second Monday of March. For this year, the World celebrated the Commonwealth Day on Monday 13th March, but here in Rwanda as the targeted people to celebrate with were students who were doing their exams, the celebration has been postponed to March 27th, 2017.
Rwanda celebrated the commonwealth day with the students from High Schools that have commonwealth clubs namely Lycée de Kigali which hosted the event and Lycée Notre Dames de Citeaux.
It was the day of an enjoyable programs:
Educational activity:There were two groups of five from each school, the aim of the dialogue was to understand the commonwealth in general, the commonwealth day and the theme of the day and to help other students to understand that and to know the important of being a member of the commonwealth family.
Sport activities: They had time to compete; In running 5 laps the footbll pitch, Lycée de Kigali won over Lycée Notre Dame de Citeaux and in tag of war rope, Lycée Notre Dame de Citeaux paid back.
The Second Vice President of Rwanda Commonwealth Games Association, Mr. BIZIMANA Festus and the Second Secretary Political of the British High Commission in Rwanda, Mr. Tim MOODY gave their remarks to the crowd.
The event was finished with awarding the winners in different activities:
The Rwanda Commonwealth Games Association President Mr Robert Bayigamba is attending the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly, which is being held in Edmonton, Canada. This General Assembly is from the 05th October 2016.
This General Assembly is bringing together the sport leaders from 71 commonwealth countries.
There will be discussions and dealing with some big issues like human rights in sports, address such big issues as Equality and reconciliation and all types of subjects not just relevant to Commonwealth but to many communities around the world.
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) will have a small delegation attending this CGF General Assembly.
The members of that team attending are:
Peter Beatie : Chairman
Mark Peter: Chief Executive officer
Adam Best: International Sector Manager; Queen’s Baton Relay
Greg Tighe: Manager, Protocol
Melissa price: Manager, CGA Relations and Operations
Representatives from the Queensland Government and City of Gold Coast will be attending and eager to meet the CGA to see how they can assist our CGAs most female health with any pre-games training or staging camp activities.