Online Newspaper for Students at School of Journalism

Rwanda’s Sports Infrastructure Revolution

The BK Arena Stadium

Bk arena is the ideal entertainment sport and event hub on continent. Bk arena (formerly known as Kigali arena) since 2022. Is a multipurpose indoor arena in Kigali, Rwanda used mostly for basketball and volleyball matches, it was built and finished in 2019 .

It is hosting sporting events and concerts and it is the biggest indoor arena in East Africa and  is located next to the Amahoro stadium. The arena is regularly used for games in the Rwanda basketball league (RBL)

Apr vs reg in playoffs of (RBL).

It was constructed by SUMMA a Turkish international constructor. In 2021 Kigali arena signed a contract with Rwandan singer Bruce Melody with him to be its brand ambassador for the next three years with a shared objective to position the venue as regional entertainment hub.

On May 24, 2022 the arena name was changed to be the BK arena after 6 years sponsorship deal worth 7 Billion RFW with the Bank of Kigali.                                                                              

Construction of the Kigali arena was a joint project of the Rwandan government through the Rwanda housing authority (RHA) and Turkish firm SUMMA, began in January 2019 , the construction of the indoor arena was supervised by RHA construction progressed on a fast rate, with around 1000 to 2000 people employed to work on the project  both in day and night shift by mid-June 2019, the indoor arena was at least 70% complete and was completed in July 2019 on August 2019, the arena was inaugurated with a basketball game between Patriot and REG, with Rwandan president Paul Kagame in attendance. In 2021, BK Arena played host to be the inaugural edition of the Basketball African League (BAL)

Kigali arena is 10,000 capacity indoor arena for indoor sports such as Basketball, Handball, volley ball and Tennis.

Heslon and friends in BAL 2023           

We visited also Amahoro Stadium where there is renovation of the building. Stadium renovation is on the cost of Rwf160 Billion to successfully complete the upgrade (from 25,000 capacity to 45,000 capacity) works. This will make the position of Rwanda in the world’s image about sports by its ambition to host more international sporting events.  

Amahoro Stadium, which has not hosted football competitions since 2021, is under renovation since March. The stadium will be ready by 2024!

We also visit Gahanga Cricket Stadium opened in October 2017 and has been dubbed by the “Lord’s of East Africa”. There was need for profit ground consists of an ICC international standard wicket with pavilion and bar, as well as community facilities in sports. It has won and been nominated for several prestigious architecture and engineering awards. The three vaults, designed to mimic the trajectory of a bouncing ball, as well as Rwanda’s rolling hills, were constructed out of 66,000 tiles made primarily from local earth excavated on site.

The tiles were each handmade, predominantly using local labour sourced through a Rwandan Government-led social protection programme, the Vision Umurenge Project, aimed at the two poorest categories of the population. 

CBH plays a role in the ongoing maintenance, operation and sustainability of the ground. It has also hosted free HIV testing by the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, cricket open days to attract new players and spectators, and even a wedding. 

Gahanga cricket stadium

Share this article

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Email
Print