Rwanda to Receive $50,000 FIFA Investment for Football Schools, Reports Say

While Rwanda is seeking to develop the country's sports tourism, it is hosting the 73rd FIFA Congress which is expected to end March 17. During the event, the football organization said it would provide financial assistance to develop sports in the country.

The world governing football association, FIFA, will invest $50,000 in Rwanda in order to expand schools' football programs in the country, media has reported.

The expansion of the programs is expected to target over 4,000 learning institutions all over the East African state in the following four years.

Rwanda's capital Kigali is now hosting the 73rd FIFA Congress which began on March 13 and is set to last until March 17. During the event, nearly 2,000 delegates from 211-member associations and other football stakeholders are focusing on a range of issues facing football, including governance, ethics, and the development of the sport at all levels.

Along with that, the event will see the inauguration of the renovated Nyamirambo Stadium, now renamed after the late legendary Brazilian footballer Pele.

Meanwhile, Rwanda spent about $160,000 in 2021 to increase the seating capacity of the Amahoro Stadium; the upgrade is expected to be completed next year.

Beyond that, during the FIFA Congress, the football organization under its FIFA Forward Program, which is designed to develop and support football all over the world, finished building an accommodation center for the Rwanda national football team known as Amavubi.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the center, Davis Ndayisenga, manager of FIFA’s Regional Development Office, said: "It’s a source of pride for the Kigali Regional Office to have supported FERWAFA [the Rwanda Football Federation] in the construction of this superb building."

"It’s a unique residential centre that will enable the federation to embark on other projects in the future," Ndayisenga added.

As the country is seeking to position itself as Africa's sports hub hosting major competitions, it aims to raise $800 million in sports tourism by next year.

Rwanda has already hosted the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon, which attracted nearly 2,000 athletes from 20 countries and won the bid to be the first African country to host the World Road Cycling Championships in 2025.

As for the annual FIFA Congress, this is the second time the event takes place in Africa. Previously, South Africa hosted it in 2007.