The much-awaited Veterans Clubs World Championship (VCWC) is just four months away from coming to Kigali with a host of world’s top football legends expected to headline the event. The VCWC is a tournament for former players to showcase their talents once again and, more importantly, to contribute to noble causes. The inaugural edition of the competition is expected to attract up to 150 football veterans and it is anticipated with over 100 million people expected to following worldwide. An inspection team from Promasport Agency, a French agency responsible for the arrival of the 150 football legends for the VCWC, has been in the country since Monday, May 6, to monitor the progress of Kigali’s preparedness for the championship in various aspects. Based in Marseille, France, the agency has been accompanying the VCWC since the beginning of the project and is responsible for contracting with the legends, preparing for their arrival, and ensuring smooth operations during the 10 days in Rwanda in September. It will notably facilitate connections between the legends and sponsors, as well as coordinate tourist and cultural activities. According to Yohan Estace, the CEO of Promasport Agency, Kigali has made a significant progress in preparations of the VCWC which will kick off on September 1 and run until September 10. Estace told Weekend Sport that he has been impressed with the preparations so far for the global competition to successfully take place and he is looking forward to the main event. Yes, Kigali is ready to host, everything I have seen so far is up to what I have been told before coming here. I am impressed. Everything is modern and there is a good job done ahead of the competition,” he said in an interview. “We came in Rwanda purposely to observe the progress as far as this project is concerned. We wanted to know how the legends are going to be welcomed in the country, how our partners are gearing up and knowing where we are as far as preparation goes.” “We checked out the stadium where the competition will take place, the pitch arena...Besides football, our legends will also be entertained differently on the off days, their hobbies will be taken care of those who wants to play tennis, golf or swim among other things, he added. ALSO READ: Gatete among team captains to headline 2024 veteran Clubs World Cup Estace further stressed that there will be forums in the course of the competition and it was essential to come and know where each of the legends could fit. We are also here to find out the forums and which legends could be paired up with which forum. Some are for tourism, education, ICT etc. If you take a legend like Edmilson, he has a football academy back in Brazil; so he will be perfect for an education kind of forum...If you have George Weah, former president of Liberia who has contributed lot to his country in terms of peace, he could be key to the peace forum. Etc etc, he explained. Final 50 legends to be announced in May Estace revealed that the final list of 50 legends will be unveiled in coming days of May and there are a host of big names in it. Great surprises and great names are in there,” he said. He said it was easy to convince the legends about the project as most had heard about the progress of Rwanda but they have never been there and they since expressed their desire to explore the country. It didn't take much to convince the legends. There were two avenues talking to them about the football aspect of things, it is the first time this kind of competition is taking place in the world with 150 legends to gather and compete together,” he said. “Many have heard about the history of Rwanda. What Rwanda has been able to accomplish in 30 years is unheard of worldwide. It is quite an experience so they are all motivated and excited to come here with their families and friends.” “More legends who wanted to come but it was impossible to bring them all? It is a yearly event so those who couldn't come this year will come next year, he added. The inaugural VCWC in Rwanda will involve a tournament with 20 games broadcast to over 100 million viewers around the world. There will be five key forums attached to the competition which will be on peace, health, education, business and tourism. Among the high profile former players who will be represented includes George Weah, Ronaldinho, Michael Owen, Edmilson, Patrick Mboma and Rwanda’s Jimmy Gatete among others. Estace urged Rwandans to attend the VCWC in big numbers and seize the opportunity to meet their favorite legends. “We want to see how the legends are going to see how Rwandans welcome them and vice versa. We want Rwandans to attend the games because it is the main reason why the games are coming to the country and we hope when the legends go back they will talk about Rwanda,” he said.
