Some of the participants pose for a photo after the Ironman 70.3, a half-triathlon competition encompassing swimming, cycling, and running in Rwanda on August 5, 2023. PHOTO | NMG
Rwanda’s plan to turn Kigali into a sports destination is beginning to take shape, as the country continues to attract big sports events, with the most recent being the second edition of Ironman 70.3, a half-triathlon competition encompassing swimming, cycling, and running around Lake Kivu, Rubavu district.
The Ironman Triathlon Series is the world’s premier full-distance and half-distance triathlon consisting of over 150 qualifying races in 50+ countries, regions and territories across the world.
Kigali hosted the competition on August 5, attracting 58 athletes from Rwanda and 232 others from 29 countries.
The 70.3-mile triathlon began with a 1.9km swim course in Lake Kivu then a 90km bike race, ending with a 21.1km run.
Clare Akamanzi, Rwanda Development Board chief executive, said the government is working hard to cement its reputation as a sports hub.
"It is something that we take seriously, we work hard for, and we are willing to do all that we can to position Rwanda as a home of sports,” Ms Akamanzi said at the awards ceremony. "There’s no doubt that Ironman is one of the most exciting competitions in the world and hosting it in Rwanda showcases the very best of Rwanda."
Rwanda’s Heritier Ishimwe won the men’s race with a time of 4:48:56, while Berber Kramer from the Netherlands crossed the finish line first in the women’s race, with a time of 4:55:21. Jean de Dieu Bigirimana from Team Bigirimana was the first to cross the finish line in the relay teams’ category with a race time of 4:15:32.
Four Rwandan athletes qualified for the VinFast Ironman 70.3 World Championship scheduled for Taupō, New Zealand, on December 14-15, 2024.
While triathlon has been gaining popularity in Africa, the frequency of competitions held on the continent has traditionally favoured more affluent regions, such as South Africa and North Africa.
Zephanie Niyonkuru, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Sports praised Rwanda for being the first East African state to host the event.
“Events like Ironman 70.3 Rwanda bring exposure to local athletes because it is a platform that allows participants to showcase their talents,” the PS said.
Rwanda was also the first East African country to host the 12-nation Women's AfroBasket at BK Arena from July 28 to August 6.
The last three editions of the tournament were held in Cameroon (2021), Senegal (2019) and Mali (2017). Nigeria won the 2023 Women's AfroBasket title in Kigali.
Rwanda has hosted other continental competitions in recent years, including the Window 2 of the World Cup African Qualifiers, and the Final Round of the last three seasons of the Basketball Africa League.
Next week, Kigali will host the Giants of Africa Festival, a week-long celebration of basketball, education, culture and entertainment that uses basketball as a tool to educate and empower African youth to dream big. It brings together 250+ boys and girls from 16 countries across the continent.
Founded in 2003 by Masai Ujiri, Giants of Africa is a nonprofit that has travelled the African continent for the past 20 years conducting basketball camps for boys and girls, building courts and facilitating youth outreach initiatives.