Athletes, fans react to sports ministry’s new funding rule

Athletes and fans have shared their thoughts about the Ministry of Sports’ move to prioritise top performing federations when it comes to funding. The development, announced by sports minister Nelly Mukazayire on Wednesday, November 5, aims at enhancing accountability for government resources. Mukazayire listed eleven federations, out of the 35 that are around in the country. The decision is based on the federations’ demonstrated strong performance. The listed federations include football, volleyball, basketball, cycling, athletics, handball, and sitting volleyball, which was included due to its outstanding performance at the Paralympic Games. ALSO READ: Mukazayire: Only performing federations will get funding In light of the move, Times Sport reached out to different people from the sports ecosystem to capture their opinions about the new approach. Among those who spoke to Times Sport, Jean Butoyi, the President of the Sports Journalists Association of Rwanda (AJSP-Rwanda), linked the strategy to a task that was earlier given to the sports ministry by President Paul Kagame, urging the officials to find ways to generate resources from sports, which he described as a business based on talent. “Keeping in mind the limited budget of our country, focusing on federations that can deliver results is a perfect approach. It’s a path that helps reduce unnecessary spending while ensuring accountability and feedback,” said Butoyi, a former sports commentator at the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA). ALSO READ: Sports Ministry tightens accountability Nathalie Munyampenda, President of Kepler Basketball, a team that features in Rwanda Basketball League, said she supports the idea. “We support the current push by the ministry to back organised and productive federations and to ensure funding goes into development. This is the right way forward,” she said. Richard Habinshuti, a sports educator at Petit Séminaire Virgo Fidelis, a secondary school based in Huye, said the mechanism gives an assignment to schools and grassroots programs to put more effort into talent development. “To be honest, eleven disciplines are not enough. This pushes us to work harder from the ground level to produce more talent in different areas. With the ministry’s support, we can contribute to achieving even better results,” he noted. Liliane Mukobwankawe, a three-time Paralympian and captain of the national women’s sitting volleyball team, talked about how proud she is of the fact that the team was recognised by the ministry due to its performance. “Due to our performance, placing Rwanda first in Africa and fifth in the world in women’s sitting volleyball, we were added to the list,” she said. ALSO READ: Sitting V-ball legend Mukobwankawe 'to retire in 2028' Mukobwankawe added that inclusive sports have long faced financial challenges, but being among the top-performing federations has brought both national pride and positive change to athletes’ lives.