Men final Rubengera 2-0 Kimonyi Women final Murunda 2-0 Mahembe The 2024 Umurenge Kagame Cup came to a close in Rubavu on Sunday, May 5, leaving Karongi’s Rubengera and Rutsiro’s Murunda football teams crowned champions in men and women’s categories respectively. ALSO READ: Umurenge Kagame Cup 2024 finals set for May 4-5 in Rubavu Umurenge Kagame Cup in an annual tournament which is jointly organized by the Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Local Government, Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) and various sports federations as a tool to celebrate Rwanda's people-centric leadership. The two-day event engaged athletes across eight disciplines, from football and volleyball to cycling and Igisoro among others. In two final matches that ended in identical results at Umuganda Stadium, Rubengera sector defeated Mahembe of Nyamasheke District 2-0 to lift the men’s title while Murunda also overcame Kimonyi sector’s team from Musanze 2-0 to win the women’s trophy. The men’s final commenced with an early setback for Rubengera who were reduced to 10 men in the 27th minute. However, unfazed by this disadvantage, the team rallied and broke through Kimonyi's defence to open the score in the 44th minute to take the lead before half time. Rubengera suffered a lot in the second half as Kimonyi pinned them into their own half pushing to even the scores. Rubengera maintained their resilience which gave them a lifeline when a Kimonyi player also received a red card in the 77th minute, leaving both teams tied to 10 men each. The red card left Kimonyi players discouraged, on one hand, while Rubengera's perseverance, on the other hand, paid off with an 87th minute to double the lead, hence going on to win the crunch final and lift the title. In the women’s final played earlier in the day, Murunda sector beat Mahembe sector 2-0 to win their first ever Kagame Cup trophy. The two football finals marked the end of the 2024 edition of Umurenge Kagame Cup whose finals were held in both Musanze and Ruvabu Districts. Closing the tournament, Minister of Local Government, Jean Claude Musabyimana commended all participants, including players, organizers, and the passionate fans who attended the games from sector to national level. The purpose of this tournament was to celebrate 30 years of good governance that prioritizes the citizens, Musabyimana said. I want to thank everyone involved in making this tournament a success. From the sector level to these grand finals, we saw an outpouring of support for this event,” he added. Musabyimana emphasised that the tournament also serves as a platform for young, aspiring athletes to demonstrate their skills and achieve their dreams. We hope that the tournament will continue to provide opportunities for talented individuals to shine, thus contributing to the advancement of sports in our country, he noted. Usta Kaitesi, CEO of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), lauded Rwanda's unique approach to governance, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue between leaders and citizens. It is our responsibility to ensure that our citizens are healthy and happy, and this tournament achieves both objectives, Kaitesi said. Looking ahead to future editions of the Umurenge Kagame Cup, Kaitesi said, “We promise to make the next edition even better and bigger. Participants upbeat One notable moment of the 2024 edition unfolded when 67-year-old Rosette Mukamutana, who plays for Rulindo's basketball team, was awarded the Best Combative Player of the tournament. After receiving the award, Mukamana, who was the oldest player in the tournament, said, This tournament was truly remarkable, with great competition and camaraderie. As the oldest player in the tournament, it was a joy to demonstrate that age is no barrier to sportsmanship, health, and connecting with fellow Rwandans. Other winners The City of Kigali City and Nyaruguru district were outstanding in athletics, with Young Niyonkuru (Kigali) and Ruth Uwayehova (Nyabihu) claiming gold in the men's and women's 100m events respectively. Nyaruguru district's Venantie Mukandayisenga (400m women) and Nyamasheke district's Noe Ishimwe (400m men) also bagged gold medals while Kigali City's Devotha Byukusenge and Ildephonse Nkejumuto struck gold in the 1500m women's and men's events. Kamonyi emerged dominant in basketball, winning the trophies in both men's and women's categories. The women's team won the trophy after beating Musanze 50-35, while the men's team triumphed over Musanze 69-62. Ngoma district achieved a volleyball double, clinching the men's trophy by defeating Kicukiro 3-1 sets and the women's trophy with an emphatic 3-0 sets victory over Gicumbi. In cycling, Emmanuel Mufiteyesu from Gicumbi struck gold in the men's event, followed by Bugesera's Elisa Marirumva and Muhanga's Ferdinand Sibomana. The women’s race was won by Musanze's Immaculée Nzamukosha followed by Kicukiro's Aliane Mugisha while Bugesera's Odile Niyonsaba completed the podium with a bronze medal. Nyamasheke District's Eric Habimana clinched the gold medal in the high jump, while Gasabo’s Ephrem Muragijimana and Nicolas Bizimana, also from Nyamasheke, claimed silver and bronze, respectively. Hassan Shukuru (Rusizi) and Diane Mukundirihe (Nyaruguru) were crowned champions in the men's and women's Igisoro competition.
