When the sport of high jump is mentioned, the first African countries that come to mind might be Kenya, which is internationally recognised as being home to the world’s finest athletes.

Other countries with which the sport is associated, include Ethiopia, Eritrea and occasionally Uganda. Rwanda is unlikely to be high on many people’s lists, yet the high jump, over the long years of colonialism and post-colonial era was once a national sport at which Rwandans excelled.

In his book, ‘Gusimbuka Urukiramende’, Emmanuel Bugingo writes that Professor Ernst Joskl asserted that Rwandans had been known as excellent high jumpers "long before the emergence of the modern sports movement.”

‘Gusimbuka Urukiramende’ refers to jumping over a crossbar resting on two vertical supports. The variation in the equipment used and in the kinds of sites at which it took place make it fundamentally different from any sportive model of high jumping. So, too, did the fact that different varieties of jumping apparently existed.

"The sport was introduced before the colonialism era. Colonialists were impressed by the performance realized by Rwandans when they discovered this sport which was done by different techniques compared to the way high jumps was done in Europe,” Bugingo says.

Like the book reveals, it was said that physique was very crucial in the selection of the Intore dancers, and it seems reasonable to assume that the same criterion was applied in the selection of high jumpers. Those found to be best suited to ‘gusimbuka’ therefore may have been above average height.

Jean-Damascène Rwasamirera, 76, a historian further reveals that the training of Intore, through Itorero (Civic education programme)included poetry, panegyrics, dancing, self-defense, spear throwing, running and high jump, to which each of them was accorded enough time.

"It was a popular sport just like football, but it took a longer time, because of the selection process and it was competitive as people competed at individual level,” he says.

He adds that it was a tradition of great importance in Rwandan society as men would jump over 2.00 meters or over 6 feet 6 inches to clear a stick to showcase their extraordinary physical talent. The higher they mastered, the more daring they became.

Bugingo’s book further reveals that at important celebrations, the king would order a series of cultural activities to be performed at the court and high jump was one of the activities included at such events. It was also performed at important weddings and outside the court at local gatherings of importance.

‘Gusimbuka’ may well have been an activity that was concentrated at the court but beyond being both manly training and a courtly entertainment for the king and various chiefs, it was practiced at the community level as part of what Europeans described as recreational gathering.

In some cases, the dancers were also high jumpers. The master of the dance troupe chief Rubakambu was one of the best "high jumpers” of Rwanda while Butera, the king’s leading dancer in the 1930s, was also said to be a celebrated high jumper.

Bugingo says it was not easy to identify famous athletes, because at that time, recording was not yet organized.

However, the most famous high jumpers, recorded, during the reign of king Musinga (1897-1931) was said to be Kanyamuhungu, while under king Rudahigwa (1931-1959) the most renowned jumpers were Kanyemera, Gashimirang, Mwunvaneza and Ngoga.

Rwasamirera also adds that although adults and members of the Intore were champions at the game, it started a very young age and was a casual sport for the kids.

"Both the young and the old played the game although this form of jumping was first played by young kids. They used to plant two posts and horizontally place another stick and they would compete according to their ages.

The kids who did most of the domestic work used their breaks to play their game until evening when they would take cattle back home. The very tall boys were challenged to jump at a length above their height. The most popular Rwandan in the sport was called Gateyihene, you would see him almost up in the clouds,” he says.

Reviving the sport

Rwasamirera believes that nowadays, it is difficult to revive the sport among the young, since kids are more occupied with school, are interested in other games , yet also finding a suitable field, just like in the past is not easy to find.

Although many have given up seeing a representative of Rwanda at the international athlete events, Jean Pierre Ndacyayisenga, the technical director of Rwanda Athletics Federation says the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC) in collaboration with the federation has been organising competitions, where very many athletes have turned up, in a bid to revive the sport.

A few months ago, over 200 local athletes, including high jump, competed in the 2018 national athletics championships at Amahoro national stadium.

Emmanuel Bugingo, who is also the Director of Sports at the MINISPOC, said that measures, by the ministry, are underway to revamp the sport

"We are working on a plan to revamp this sport where we have competitive advantage. I can assure you that this sport will be one of those we excel at in a few years to come. We are planning to develop this sport through schools, by importing materials and related equipment, training coaches and detecting talent,” he says.

Faustin Nsengiyumva, the outreach program officer at the National Institute of Museums says there is a plan to organise several outreach activities for children, to show them how traditional activities were done.

"We have two programs, the ‘Hands on experience in Museums’ and the ‘holidays in museums’, an annual program that involves traditional sports. Those are the programs organized at museums but we also have the outreach programs where we go to schools, ‘Museums in schools’ and ‘Museums in communities’ that are organised quarterly.

Children are very keen on learning these activities and their parents have been requesting us to extend the period of time we take and do it at each museum. This is one of the plans that we have in the future. We are also organising to introduce these activities during the car free day,” he says.

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