Local volleyball great Lawrence Yakan Guma has reckoned that the game has a good future in Rwanda, but those in charge will need to learn from advanced volley-balling countries. The Uganda-born Rwanda international, who features for Japanese side Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler, is currently the longest serving player in the men’s senior national team. Speaking to Times Sport in a telephone interview, Yakan said there is a lot of talent and potential in the country, but it is not enough until the volleyball federation learns how countries like Japan – where he plays – take aggressive steps in developing volleyball from the grassroots level. “I have been here (in Japan) for a while now, so I have seen their system of operations in the game. First they introduce this game to kids at a very tender of around 3 to 10 years,” he said. “At that age, children are learning the basics of the game. And, when they become teenagers, they are being trained to become physically and tactically strong. By the age of 17, you find them already on the list for the national team.” “So, if some of these ideas are applied in Rwanda, I am sure we can produce better and stronger players in the future.” On top of featuring for and winning titles with a number of local outfits, Yakan has also previously played in Algeria and Turkey.
