Dominique Bizimana has unfinished business with Rwanda’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC) as embarks on his second spell as the president of the body which oversees sports for people with disabilities. Bizimana, 48, succeeded Jean Baptiste Murema as president of NPC during the elections that took place on Saturday, November 8. He returned to office after 13 years, having previously led the NPC between 2001 and 2012. He will assume office on a four-year term which runs until 2029. Times Sport caught up with the former national sitting volleyball player on his plans to strengthen sports for para-athletes. ALSO READ: Dominique Bizimana returns to Paralympic Committee office after 13 years Rebuilding leadership from district level In line with the accountability process required by the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) for all non-government organisations, including the NPC, Bizimana emphasised that his first priority will be to fill leadership gaps within the structure. The Paralympic Committee is represented in 30 districts across the country under the District Paralympic Sports Committees (DPSCOs). However, the elected district presidents still need adjustments through improved governance and proper elections in their respective districts. ALSO READ: Alice Umulinga elected first female president of Rwanda Olympic Committee Bizimana said he plans to ensure this happens, which will also pave the way for the creation of additional committees beyond the executive, including an Audit Committee and a Conflict Resolution Committee. Once this process is achieved, the NPC will move forward with revising its statutes to fill gaps in its governing laws before applying for full compliance next year. Empowering sports disciplines to operate independently After strengthening leadership structures, Bizimana intends to mobilize and support over a dozen of sports for people with disabilities so that each discipline can operate as an independent federation under the NPC. These disciplines include athletics, sitting volleyball, sit-ball, beach sitting volleyball, amputee football, para powerlifting, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, badminton, and para taekwondo for persons with physical disabilities. ALSO READ: LA 2028 Olympics: What does Umulinga bring on table? Others include Boccia for people with intellectual disabilities, goalball, para judo, and athletics for persons with visual impairments. Deaf athletes, meanwhile, compete in volleyball, basketball, handball, and football. Reviving regional para-sports competitions Aligned with President Paul Kagame’s directive to the Ministry of Sports to find innovative ways of generating resources from sports, Bizimana also plans to attract more regional para-sports competitions to Rwanda. The last major para-sport event hosted in Rwanda was the 2017 ParaVolley Africa Sitting Volleyball Championships in Kigali. The NPC now aims to attract more continental tournaments, including future editions of the ParaVolley Africa Championships. Additionally, Bizimana revealed plans to bid for the 2027 Women’s Amputee Football World Cup Qualifiers, one of the major international events he hopes to bring to Rwanda.
