Sports ministry top official calls for early preparations

THE Director of Sports in the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Emmanuel Bugingo has urged the national sports federations to start early preparations for the 2014 Games in Scotland scheduled to run from July 23 to Aug. 3.While making the call recently, Bugingo said that capable and talented athletes should be the main priority and be given exposure by competing in continental and international competitions in a bid to prepare them ahead of the quadrennial Games.The veteran administrator stressed that the country should focus on those events that it has advantage in rather than waste resources on areas where Rwandan sportsmen and women don’t have any chance to excel.“We need to start preparations early enough because preparing at the last minute has not won us anything in the past; it’s not the best for any athlete. “The government will always be there to support federations to ensure that preparations are done early,” Bugingo told Times Sport in an exclusive interview on Thursday.He noted that the upcoming Francophone Games should be a platform for federations to send their hopeful athletes as part of the preparations for the Scotland Games next year.“Both the Francophone and Commonwealth Games should be able to leave us with a pool of good athletes, who can represent their country well at the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro.”“RNOC, and the sports federations should come together in all honesty to decide which sport(s) can effectively represent the country in Brazil, and selection should not be based on sentiments but rather on performances,” added Bugingo.On the quality of athletes that should represent the country in international competitions, Bugingo said that the coaches should play a leading role in their selection.At the Francophonie games due to be held in Nice, France later this year, Rwanda will be represented in disciplines such as athletics, swimming, boxing and cultural events.In the last edition, held in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2009, Rwanda scooped five medals – three gold and two silver.Rwanda made her debut at the 2010 Commonwealth games in Delhi, India, a year after being admitted to the Commonwealth of Nations.The country was represented by a delegation of 22 athletes, competing in athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming, and tennis. The team did not win any medals.