CHAN is here: Let's enjoy the beautiful game

This Saturday, the African Nations football Championship (CHAN) for home –based footballers kicks off at Amahoro National Stadium. The opening match pits hosts Rwanda against Africa’s top football nation, Ivory Coast. We will see whether Amavubi (Wasps) have a potent sting to immobilise the mighty Elephants. For the next three weeks, we will be treated to a football festival at which some of Africa’s best talents will be on display. During that time, too, the Rwandan national team, Amavubi, will test their skills against some of the very best. The tournament comes to Rwanda at about the right time. Rwandan football has been in the doldrums lately and probably needs this sort of competition to lift it up. The heights the team reached in 2004 in Tunisia, the only time it appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations, and in 2011 when the under-17 reached the World Cup finals in Mexico have been difficult to scale again. Even at regional level where the team has been doing rather well, things have not been very good of late. So a competition at this level might be the sort of spur needed to get out of the lethargy the national team has been in. Of course, there are other issues in football that must also be sorted out. Between now and February 7 Rwanda will be under the spotlight for sporting and other reasons. It is an opportunity for the country in many respects. As normally happens at such events, there will be a spectacular opening ceremony, usually a cultural extravaganza showing the country’s glorious past. We will probably do the same. I wish we could do one better and in addition to showing our rich culture, which is essentially about the achievements of the past, also project our aspirations and what we aim to achieve in the future. This would be in keeping with our eyes-to-the-future mindset. There will be lots of scouts from across the world looking for talent to recruit to various clubs. This is incentive enough for some of the players who think they are good enough to perform to their very best and break into the big money leagues. Our players should not see this as mainly a fashion parade where they can display some of the weirdest hairdos, tattoos and other bizarre styles. It is a football tournament where skills, a competitive spirit and all round excellence are on show. They are expected to play football, not strut about like peacocks. Many visitors will be here for the football, but others will come for other reasons as well. The way they are treated will influence whether they want to spend their money or whether they will return for a longer stay and even do business. This is a big opportunity for those in the service industry – hotels, banks, telecommunications and transport companies among others. The government has already made the first step in this direction by waiving visa fees for all those coming for CHAN. More spectators will probably come as a result of this measure. Hosting big sports events is more than sports. It is business. Countries pour a lot of money into the events and expect returns. In our case, the government has put in 16 billion francs. Much of this has gone into refurbishing the stadia to be used and for infrastructure generally. This sort of money cannot be spent on a three-week event only. The benefits must go beyond CHAN 2016. The Ministry of Sports and Culture, local authorities and the football association have to think of creative ways of using these facilities so that they make money. It would be sad if our stadia turned into white elephants as has happened elsewhere. The success of CHAN 2016 will be assured if organisers avoid the shame that has bedevilled big sporting events on the continent. When the host country is not playing, the fans stay away and other teams usually play to an empty stadium. That can be demoralising. Footballers are performers, and like many others, thrive on performing to an audience. In football in particular, the adage: the more the merrier could not be truer. One can also add: the noisier the better. Numbers and noise provide a sort of performance-enhancing environment that brings out the best from players. Organisers of CHAN 2016 must, therefore, be aware of this and make sure that stadia are filled whether Amavubi are playing or not. They can make the tickets affordable, for instance, or get corporate sponsorship which would enable fans to attend free of charge. Do anything, but let the stadia fill. We will of course be rooting for Amavubi to lift the trophy. But that alone will not be enough. They must have the passion and desire to win, and show the fighting spirit for which Rwandans are known. But this is sport and it is the beautiful game, and may the best team win. lorwagatare@yahoo.co.uk

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CHAN is here: Let's enjoy the beautiful game