A total of 125 players have their eyes set on prizes that are up for grabs at the sixth edition of Cogebanque Tennis Open which is underway at the tennis courts of Cercle Sportif de Kigali since Friday, November 25. Organized by CSK Tennis Club in partnership with Cogebanque, the annual Tennis tournament kicked off Friday, November 25, and will conclude Saturday, December 3. Participating players are from different national tennis clubs and two regional clubs from Goma, DR Congo and Bujumbura in Burundi. They will compete in five various categories namely mixed doubles (amateur and professional), men's professionals, women's professionals, juniors (men and women), and wheelchair classes. National clubs that are represented in the tournament include CSK Tennis Club, IPRC-Kigali Tennis Club, Nyarutarama Tennis Club, APR Tennis Club, Remera Tennis Club, Kanombe Tennis Club, Butare Tennis Club, Musanze Tennis Club and Cimerwa Tennis Club. Officially opening the tournament on Saturday, Cogebanque CEO Guillaume Ngamije Habarugira said, “Cogebanque is pleased to support this tournament, which emphasizes the importance we place on sports and health in general, and at this event, we will further leverage the tennis sport in Rwanda while raising the bank’s product awareness.” “We are excited to support CSK Tennis Club because we believe we share the same vision for the critical role they play in improving tennis in the local community,” he added. The tournament tennis attracts a diverse crowd that includes business executives, influential figures, and important economic entrepreneurs, to mention a few and Habarugira is positive the tournament offers a chance to network off the court while also practicing tennis swing. According to Songa Rwamugire, the bank acting Commercial Director, having Cogebanque involved in the tournament serves as a ‘great’ opportunity for the bank to connect with the target market that follows Tennis Sport, build awareness, and deepen the emotional bond with their existing customers. “This sponsorship allows us to position our brand exclusively and gives us the rights to promote our products and services to tennis players and fans, as well as solicit feedback on how we can improve to provide them with a seamless banking experience,” Rwamugire said. With the number of players participating in the tennis tournament edition after edition, CSK Tennis Club Secretary General Eric Kabeza said they are looking at how they can schedule the tournament during holidays so as to give a chance to students to participate. “We want to see young players growing their talent through this tournament and that’s why we are considering organizing the tournament during the holidays,” Kabeza said. The winners will be unveiled when the tournament closes Saturday, December 3. Cogebanque (Compagnie Générale de Banque Plc) is a Rwanda-based commercial bank, licensed by the National Bank of Rwanda. It started operations in 1999. It is one of the fastest growing banks in Rwanda and today has 28 branches, over 600 agents, and 36 ATMs across the country. These are supported by Mobile banking (USSD on *505# and Mobile App “Coge mBank”), Cards (Mastercards, Smart cash and SafariBus), SchoolGEAR and internet banking delivery channels accessible through different media. Cogebanque has been serving Rwandan industries for over 23 years with innovative services to its customers and has positively influenced the Rwandan economy. Cogebanque provides a comprehensive range of products and services targeted at corporate, SMEs and retail customers.
