The minister of sports at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) is worried about the future of his department. KIST has already pulled out of football, basketball and handball national leagues and has failed to introduce any other alternative game. I know the importance of sports yet we are just slipping backwards. By the look of it, the future of most of our players is looking break, Jules Kamugunga, the institute’s Minister of Sports, Culture and Leisure cried in an exclusive interview with Times Sport on Thursday. Kamugunga noted that the institute Rector fully supports the department of sports but that things fail when it comes to the Vice-Rector in charge of finance. Every time, the Vice-Rector tells us that the budget (for sports) is too big and that there are funds to finance it. By doing that, he forgets that he is actually killing the future of sports and players at this institute, he further complained. He appealed to the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Minispoc to intervene and that the sooner that happens the better. According to Kamugunga, his department’s total budget for this year was Frw25m, however, only Frw10m was approved to facilitate all sports disciplines including basketball, volleyball, handball, rugby and football. Further still, even the approved money has not yet been released, something that has left the Kamugunga and his staff totally disappointed. The boys’ basketball club failed to register for the national championship because it could not raise Frw2.8m to see it through the season. But when contacted, the vice Rector, Gerard Nyabutsitsi only said, We have got just one million for their budget. And Kamugunga refuted claims that the institute doesn’t have players to compete in the different leagues. We have more than enough good players for each sports discipline. They do train everyday but with no competitions. Whoever says that we don’t have players is not serious. Even the inter-promotions (inter-classes) competitions were not held last year because we didn’t have funds and the trend is likely to continue this year. KIST competes in the national volleyball championship courtesy of the volleyball federation that meets all their expenses. But the basketball court has been damaged and not renovated while the football stadium in Camp Kigali is currently used by first division side, Electrogaz. Also there are mixed feelings regarding the basketball, karate, chess, athletics and volleyball teams (boys and girls) that were invited to compete in the regional Inter-University games scheduled for June in Kampala, Uganda. Ends
