PHOTOS: Tubiteho Dominates Special Olympics Rwanda 2026 Genocide Memorial Tournament

THEUPDATE

Jun 28, 2026 - 10:50

PHOTOS: Tubiteho Dominates Special Olympics Rwanda 2026 Genocide Memorial Tournament

Tubiteho emerged as the overall champion of the inaugural Special Olympics Rwanda Genocide Memorial Tournament, collecting 13 medals.

Organized by Special Olympics Rwanda (SOR) in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Sports (MINISPORTS), the one-day tournament was held on Saturday at Lycée de Kigali in Nyarugenge District.

The event honored and remembered those who lost their lives during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi while reinforcing the values of inclusion, unity and remembrance.

Tubiteho, HVP Gatagara–Gikondo, Face of Love, Humura, Izere Mubyeyi, Ecole Primaire Amizero and Amizero were among the teams participating in the competition, alongside local community athletes.

Before kickoff, athletes, officials, and supporters took part in a memorial walk and observed a minute of silence in honor of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, before competing in football, basketball, bocce, and athletics.

Football and basketball were played under the Special Olympics Unified Sports model, bringing together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams to promote social inclusion.

Tubiteho topped the overall medal standings with 13 medals—three gold, three silver and seven bronze.

Face of Love finished second with five medals, including two gold, one silver and two bronze, while Izere Mubyeyi claimed third place with two gold and one silver medal.

HVP Gatagara–Gikondo placed fourth with six medals, consisting of one gold, three silver and two bronze.

Amizero collected three medals, while Humura earned two bronze medals and Ecole Primaire Amizero finished with one silver and one bronze.

In football, Izere Mubyeyi were crowned champions following a convincing 3-0 victory over Amizero in the final, after edging Tubiteho 4-3 in the semifinals.

Amizero reached the final by edging Humura 2-1 in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

HVP Gatagara–Gikondo won the Unified basketball championship after edging Tubiteho 8-7 in a closely contested final.

Tubiteho also excelled in bocce, where Sabwa Nina claimed the women’s gold medal and Inshungu Bright secured gold in the men’s competition.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, IBUKA Nyarugenge District President, Safari Hamudu, commended Special Olympics Rwanda for using sport to preserve the memory of the genocide while promoting inclusion and social cohesion.

“People with intellectual disabilities were also victims of the genocide and emphasized that commemorative events such as the tournament ensure that no one is forgotten”, he added

Special Olympics Rwanda Secretary General, Patrick Guevara Muhire welcomed the success of the inaugural tournament, saying it demonstrated the ability of athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete, inspire communities and actively participate in national remembrance.

“The event reflected the Special Olympics values of respect, courage, unity and inclusion and expressed hope that the tournament would continue to grow in the years ahead”, he said

Founded in 2002, Special Olympics Rwanda has grown into one of the country’s leading organizations promoting social inclusion through sports.

Accredited by Special Olympics International, the organization currently supports more than 20,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities across all 30 districts of Rwanda.

The organization also works with more than 1,000 volunteers, over 890 active family members and hundreds of trained coaches.

Worldwide, Special Olympics operates in more than 190 countries and serves millions of athletes through year-round sports training and competitions.

The movement was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver to promote dignity, equality and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities through sports participation.

Special Olympics Rwanda currently organizes more than 900 competitions annually across six sporting disciplines, including athletics, basketball, football, volleyball, swimming and bocce.

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Patrick Guevara Muhire expressed hope that the tournament would continue to grow in the years ahead

Before kickoff, athletes, officials, and supporters took part in a memorial walk

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Inshungu Bright (middle) secured gold in the men’s 100m athletics competition

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May be an image of one or more people, dais and text Safari Hamudu (Right), commended Special Olympics Rwanda for preserving genocide memory through sport

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