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Rwanda: Ex Rayon Coach Starts Soccer Academy
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The New Times (Kigali)
6 June 2008
Posted to the web 9 June 2008
Hamza Nkuutu
Kigali
Former Rayon Sports coach Rene Kalimunda has started a football academy for children between the age of six and 15.
New Generation Football Academy whose motto is "Promoting Sporting skill-Team Spirit-Activity and fun for children" is based in Kigali with training done at APR Fc training ground at Utexrwa.
According to Kalimunda, training is only done on weekends, Saturday morning and afternoon on Sunday, "it's only in the afternoons because most of the children are school goers."
"It's something I have always wanted to do and I am really delighted to have been able to start it-it's only the beginning though.
"Only such centers will help our football because we shall be able to tap the best talent available for the big clubs as well as the national teams," noted the former Rayon centre-back.
Having failed to make a break through as coach in adult football both at Rayon and Kibuye where he had a brief spell last season, Kalimunda decided to branch into youth development through kids' football.
He said, "It's really hard to succeed at the top level without the enough means, something that didn't help my cause at Kibuye."
"But with the kids (youth development), I am going into a field that I like and I believe with support from well wishers, I only hope for the best," he noted.
New Generation Football Academy is the third such football school (centre) after Kigali Sports Stars owned by Ferwafa vice president Vedaste Kayiranga and Butare Youth Sports Centre run by veteran sports journalist Joseph Kamugisha, a medical student at the National University of Rwanda.
Asked why he went into kids' football and not looking for a big club to coach, he said, "I was a player myself, therefore, I'm doing this (developing young talents) as my contribution to the development of football in my country.
"This country has loads of young talents that only need to be unearthed, which is what I want to do with the help of other local coaches with whom I need to work hand in hand."
However, Kalimunda would not have set off his project minus the support of some people among them APR top guns including club patron Gen. James Kabarebe and club chairman Brig. Gen. Alex Kagame.
"I must thank these people for; they allowed me to use their ground at Utexrwa as my academy's training ground.
"Their action is a sign of their commitment to developing football in Rwanda and I wish other would learn from that," he stated.
Besides being the club manager, the soft spoken ex-international coached Rayon on an interim basis during the 2005/6 season and guided the club to a 15-match unbeaten run, winning 12 and drawing three.
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And he was instrumental in bringing several foreign players to the club including; Labama Bokota and goalkeeper Lawrence Webo as well as Kenyan striker John Baraza.
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