Kigali – 4 September 2022 – The Tony Football Excellence Program (TFEP) has signed a partnership agreement with the Government of Rwanda represented by the Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Education and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Through its investment, the TFEP aims to promote the objectives set by the Government of Rwanda in ‘School Sport Policy’ and ‘Sports Development Policy.

The Tony Football Excellence Program is an impact investment focusing on football talent development by educating children in sports. The program will operate in various districts across the country to develop young talents in their communities. The investment focuses on three principle factors:

• Capacity building – workshops and training for local sports teachers, coaches and staff
• Infrastructure – Construction of professional football centres.
• Sport-tech technologies    

The first phase of the program will be implemented in five districts. Four District Excellence Canters and a high-performance Elite Excellence Centre in the City of Kigali will be constructed during this phase.

Yonat Tony Miriam Listenberg, The Director of TFEP, said:

“We thank H.E, the President of the Republic of Rwanda and the government leaders for creating an enabling environment to invest in the Rwandan youth and communities through sports. The project aims to promote sports culture and leadership among Rwandan young girls and boys. The partnership between the Government of Rwanda and the TFEP will ensure the achievement of our common goal, namely to nurture the Rwandan youth of today to become the global stars of tomorrow.”

The Minister of Sports, Hon. Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju said:

“Tony Football For Excellence Program comes as an additional program which we expect to be a game changer in the sports sector as it implements both the Sports Development Policy and the Schools Sports Policy. The program will develop players in their full cycle from an early age into professional players and combine football education with the current school curriculum. We thank the investor for seeing the potential in Rwanda and committed to investing in the country. Talent development is part of the athletes’ development pathway, and under this program, we are confident that young football talents will be nurtured into future professional players.”

The Minister of Education, Hon. Dr Valentine Uwamariya said:

“We recognize the importance of Physical Education and Sports to improve and maintain good health, enrich social relations, develop critical thinking and facilitate learning. In this regard, sports should be an integral part of the education system and Students should benefit from it, not only to ensure their physical fitness at school but also mental health, discipline, social cohesion and build their future healthy lifestyle and the TFEP investment is an absolutely great contribution towards this endeavor.”

Rwanda Development Board CEO, Clare Akamanzi said:

“We are pleased that TFEP has chosen to invest in Rwanda. This is a testament to the conducive investment climate that has been put in place by the government of Rwanda. As Rwanda continues positioning itself as a sports hub, we hope this program will boost talent development and become a precursor for more investment in the sports ecosystem.”

ENDS

Media Contacts:

Ezster Weinberger – TFEP Head Business Operations

Email: [eszter@tonyrw.com]

Emmanuel HITIMANA – TFEP comms team 

Email: [press@tonyrw.com]

Phone: (+250 0788514720)