African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) president Bouchra Hajij has revived discussions around a grassroots development project aimed at establishing a Beach Volleyball Centre of Excellence in Rwanda, a plan that was first discussed about five years ago. Hajij was in Kigali last week for the signing ceremony confirming Rwanda as host of the CAVB Men’s Club Championship, scheduled to take place at Petit Stade and BK Arena from April 20 to May 3. During her visit, the CAVB leader revealed that the long-standing project was among the key topics discussed with Minister of Sports Nelly Mukazayire, explaining that the initiative will be implemented in two major phases, focusing on both human resource development and infrastructure. “In our discussions, the project was designed to progress in two parts. The first part focuses on youth development, which will go hand in hand with improving the skills of referees and coaches. The second part involves building beach volleyball courts,” Hajij said. Asked about the timeline for implementing the project—particularly the construction of courts expected to be located in Rubavu District near Lake Kivu, the same venue that hosted the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour—Hajij said the initiative could begin soon. “The only thing remaining is to finalise the procedures required to obtain authorization to build infrastructure on Rwandan land. Once that process is completed, we will be able to start our part of the project,” she said. Rwanda has previously produced competitive beach volleyball duos, particularly in the women’s category, where Valentine Munezero and Benita Mukandayisenga stood out as one of the country’s strongest pairs. In the men’s category, the veteran duo of Olivier Ntagengwa and Venuste Gatsinzi are among the most recent players to represent Rwanda in top-level international competitions, including the qualification pathway for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The planned Centre of Excellence is expected to nurture young talent and strengthen Rwanda’s future beach volleyball teams by providing structured training and improved facilities.
