Kigali, 09 August 2019: The President of the Republic of Rwanda, H.E Paul Kagame inaugurated the state-of-the-art Kigali Arena, which has a capacity of hosting 10,000 spectators. Located next to Amahoro National Stadium, the Kigali Arena is a multi-purpose facility that will be used to host indoor games, but can also host meetings, conferences, exhibitions and concerts.

President Kagame urged Rwandans to take advantage of the newly-built facility to train and host both national and international competitions. “This arena is not just a decoration to be visited on Christmas and New Year. It was built to host the best basketball players of Rwanda and Africa, for them to train, play and win here,” he said.

He praised Summa, the Turkish Construction firm who built the stadium with the speed, quality and skills transfer. The facility was built in only six months without compromising on quality.   “I want to thank those who built this arena, Summa Company of Turkey, who built this arena in only six months. They worked day and night. And that is how we should all learn to work, fast and producing quality.”

In the process, 70 per cent of the staff were Rwandan while majority of the material used was also locally sourced.

President Kagame also recognized Masai Ujiri, the President of the Toronto Raptors (current National Basketball Association (NBA) champions); Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner, as well as Amadou Gallo Fall, the Managing Director of NBA Africa for their role in developing basketball in Africa through a programme called Giants of Africa.

The Head of State challenged sports men and women to strive to be the best they can be. “They have a programme called Giants of Africa. Africa has giants and we must carry ourselves as Giants. That means it must be reflected in our actions. When your actions are exceptional then that is who you become,” President Kagame said. It is by developing the sport in Africa and raising the profile that young talents are identified, supported and trained to be professional players in leagues across Africa, he stated.

Facilities such as Kigali Arena are crucial in the process because of their ability to attract big brands and names, which further inspires emerging talent. The facility is already attracting global tournament and is slated to host the semi-finals and the final of the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) in March 2020.