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Rubavu residents turned up in big numbers on Thursday to welcome the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay that is in the country on a four-day tour.

The Queen’s Baton arrived in Rwanda on Wednesday from Ghana and headed to Rubavu District in Western Province. The Baton was carried by national swimmer Bebeto Isahaka Irankunda.

On this Friday morning, the Baton will visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre in Gisozi; while in the afternoon, it will be relayed through the streets of Kigali from the Convention Centre to Amahoro National Stadium before heading to Uganda on Saturday.

Travelling for 388 days throughout all the Commonwealth nations and territories, the relay will be the longest in Commonwealth Games’ history. The 2018 Commonwealth Games will take place in Gold Coast City in Australia from April 4-15.

Rubavu district vice mayor Janvier Murenzi said: “We are very grateful for this event and we would like to thank the organisers because it does encourage our athletes to compete in the Commonwealth Games.”

“But most importantly, we’re glad to use this occasion to implement one of our long-term projects as a country, which is environmental conservation through tree planting,” Murenzi added, in regards to this year’s Queen’s Baton Relay special theme: ‘Environmental Sustainability.’

The ceremony comprised two activities, namely; tree planting on the banks of River Sebeya and a 5-kilometre Run for Fun around Rubavu town.

Felix Uwimana won the five-kilometre men’s category clocking 12 minutes, 37 seconds and 190 micro seconds, while Eric Turikunkiko finished second with Jean Damascene Hakizimana taking the bronze medal.

In the women’s category, Jeanette Uwambajimana won the gold medal posting 14 minutes, 47 seconds and 67 microseconds. She was followed by Joseline Nyiraneza and Alicia Aganze, who won silver and bronze medal positions, respectively.

<The New Times>.

The Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay arrives in Kigali on 22^nd March 2017 at 05:30 pm from Ghana and will spend four days in Rwanda. The Queen’s Baton Relay departed Buckingham Palace on 13 March and will visit every Commonwealth Country as it journeys to Australia. The 2018 Commonwealth Games will take place on the Gold Coast in Australia from 4-15 April 2018.

During the commencement ceremony at Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty the Queen placed her message into the specially designed Baton and entrusted it to the first Baton bearer, legendary Australian track cyclist and Gold Coast 2018 Ambassador Anna Meares OAM.

The Queen’s Baton visit in Rwanda is scheduled as follows:

On 23^rd March: The Australian High Commission, together with the Gold Coast Organising Committee and the Rwanda Commonwealth Games Association (Rwanda CGA), will take the Queen’s Baton to Rubavu to join The Ministry of Natural Resources (MINIRENA) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in celebration of “International Water Day” where they will plant the trees and award the winners of Running Cross around Rubavu Streets.

On 24 March: The Queen’s Baton will pay tribute to Genocide victims at Kigali Genocide Memorial Site and be relayed through the streets of Kigali from the Kigali Convention Centre to Amahoro National Stadium.

On 25 March: Before heading to Uganda, The delegation, the Ministry of Sports and Culture, the Rwanda Commonwealth Games Association with National Federations representatives will join the Rwandans in community work (Umuganda) in Mwurire, Rwamagana district.

The Gold Coast 2018 Relay is the longest and most accessible in history, travelling through the entire Commonwealth for 388 days and 230,000 kilometres in order to share the excitement of the Games with as many people as possible.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is a tradition of the Commonwealth Games that celebrates themes of diversity, community pride, and the sporting values of fairness, inclusivity and perseverance.

This year a special theme of environmental sustainability is highlighted. The GC2018 Baton has been made using macadamia wood and reclaimed plastic sourced from Gold Coast waterways. The design has been inspired by Australia’s indigenous heritage and with sustainability in mind.

Australian High Commissioner to Rwanda, Mr John Feakes, said “I am pleased by the opportunity that the Commonwealth Games affords Australia, Rwanda, and all Commonwealth nations to come together and recognise these important values that we share”.

Volunteering at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will be an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience for all those who are involved. It will be our chance to showcase to the world how diverse, friendly and skilled our community is.

Dedicated, friendly volunteers are the cornerstone of all great events and GC2018 will be no different. We’re looking for volunteers with a wide variety of skills and experience to Shape the Games for athletes, officials and fans.

Our goal is to create a volunteer-centric program that encompasses up to 15,000 capable, committed and connected volunteers.

There will be a number of different roles across all of our venues and service areas, so if you have the passion then we have the opportunity for you.

The countdown is on! There’s only 4 days left to apply to become a GC2018 volunteer, applications will close at 8pm (AEST) on Monday 20 March, 2017.

Applications can be made by visiting https://www.gc2018.com/volunteer.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has set the Gold Coast 2018 Queen’s Baton Relay in motion during a star-studded commencement ceremony yesterday at Buckingham Palace as part of Commonwealth Day celebrations.

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Edward The Earl of Wessex, The Queen placed her message to the Commonwealth and its athletes inside the distinctive Baton.

The Queen’s Baton will now travel through the entire Commonwealth for 388 days, covering 230,000 kilometers to its final destination, the Opening Ceremony of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) on 4 April 2018.

Particularly, The Queen’s Baton Relay will visit Rwanda from March 22-25, 2017.

Australian Paralympic champion Kurt Fearnley OAM delivered the Queen’s Baton starting from Marlborough House up The Mall and into the Palace Forecourt, accompanied by the eminent Band of the Scots Guards, who played by permission of Major General BJ Bathurst CBE, The Major General Commanding The Household Division.

Louise Martin CBE President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Peter Beattie AC Chairman of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) and Yugambeh Elders Patricia O’Connor and Ted Williams accompanied Her Majesty in the ceremonial party.

For full media release document, Download it here.

Today,  Saturday, March 11th, 2017, the Extraordinary General Assembly of Rwanda National Olympic and Sports was hold at Lemigo Hotel in Kigali. The main purpose of this Assembly was to elect the new Executive Committee members. According to the Olympic Charter, the general elections are hold the year after the Olympic Games and the Committee members hold office for a term of four years. 

The positions that were run for including that of the President, 1^st Vice President, 2^nd Vice President, Secretary General, Treasurer, Internal Auditor, and two advisors.

The elections results are as follows:

• The President: Amb. MUNYABAGISHA Valens:

• The 1st Vice President: Madam RWEMALIKA Félicité:

• The 2nd Vice President: Mr. BIZIMANA Festus:

• The Secretary General: BIZIMANA Dominique:

• The Treasurer: Madam INGABIRE Alice

• Two Advisors: Mr. NZABANTERURA Eugene and Madam E’GAIRMA Hermine:

• The Internal Auditor: UMWALI Josette

 

The Guest of Honor,  The Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Sports and Culture reminded the new Executive Committee that the transparency and institutional partnership are the only keys to the success of the new responsibility they are undertaking.

On behalf of the new Executive Committee, The President, Amb. MUNYABAGISHA Valens thanked all Olympic Movements members and  promised them in close collaboration to reach the podium. 

 

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For the first time, the Commonwealth Games Federation Africa annual regional is underway in Kigali. The two-day meeting is set for Thursday and Friday at Kigali Marriott Hotel, and is focusing on discussing ways of providing the Commonwealth Games Associations with the opportunity to engage, and discuss important issues relating to the Commonwealth Sports Movements as well as providing feedback to the Commonwealth Games Federation.

According to the Rwanda Commonwealth Games Association, this is a very important meeting for Rwanda as the host country and the local sports fraternity.

As hosts, Rwanda’s benefits include; assistance for athlete’s preparations and participation in the Commonwealth Games, project support for promotion of gender equality in sports, scholarship program for coaches and administrators for sports, creating partnerships with Commonwealth sports family and support for its 2015-2022 strategic plans.

18 African countries representing their Commonwealth Games Associations  are attending the meeting: Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Cameroon, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Zambia, Malawi, Seychelles, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Mozambique.

The Commonwealth Games Federation, Ms. Louise Martin and the president of Hamad Kalkaba Malboum of African Athletics Confederation are among the important guests to attend this meeting.

Others are; Miriam Moyo, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Zambia and the CGF’s Regional Vice President for Africa and Gideon Sam, the Vice-President of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal sovereign states. Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in November 2009 during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad & Tobago, becoming the association’s 54th member.

Rwanda made its Commonwealth Games debut at the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi, taking part in athletics, boxing, road cycling and swimming.

The 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games will be held in The Bahamas and it is expected to be the largest international sporting event ever, attracting up to 1300 athletes aged 14-18.