Rwandan, U.S Olympians to unite in week of 'Fair Play in Every Way'

Under the spirit of the Olympic Movement, a delegation of nine U.S. Olympic celebrity athletes are expected in the country to join Rwandan Olympians in celebrating the Olympic Day and the power of Sports for All, which is scheduled for June 20-30. Olympians from both countries will unite under the theme “Fair Play in Every Way” to engage in a week-long exchange of more than 2,000 events that will take place in the City of Kigali as well as Kids Play International (KPI) programme site in Gatagara in Nyanza district, Southern Province. The activities will be organised through an International Sports Programming Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Culture Affairs in partnership with the Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee (RNOSC) and KPI. Kids Play International programme director Antoine de Kervern said that the event is aimed at engaging youth, promoting the ideals of Olympic Movement, family friendly activities and interactive learning as well as sharing and exchange of experiences. “This is part of the exchange programme to use sports as a tool to increase dialogue and cultural understanding between people,” Antoine disclosed. Last year, a group of eight coaches from Gatagara visited Utah, U.S for the first time to strengthen their understanding of using sport and the Olympic Values as tools to promote gender equality. KPI founder, Tracy Evans said this exchange will see the U.S. delegation engage in meaningful sport and cultural activities with Rwandan youth. “This Olympic Week is also a platform for KPI to demonstrate how we use sport to address important topics or themes while connecting them back to building better, more positive and equal relationships between boys and girls through KPI’s year round after school Let’s Play Fair programme,” Evans noted. One of the expected participants is; Ibtihaj Muhammad, who became the first Muslim woman to represent the U.S while wearing a hijab at the Rio Olympics Games in 2016. editorial@newtimes.co.rw