Kagame Cup?

WHAT a surprise! The CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup was on Saturday renamed Kagame Cup after Rwanda's President Paul Kagame. No immediate reasons were given to justify this abrupt decision. Believe me, this is unacceptable just as it is unbelievable. A regional tourney to be named after a president is, to say the least, uncalled for. First and foremost, the tournament features nine countries from around the region. Not that Kagame is a bad person, no! CECAFA is bigger than one nation. Look at the Southern Africa edition of the COSAFA Cup. We all know how popular Nelson Mandela is. How revered he is all over the world. The first black to get Honourary citizenship in Canada. For all his political and social-economic exploits, one would have expected Cosafa to rename the tournament Mandela Cup. We have heard of tournaments being named after induvidials, Lukanga Cup in boxing, Kakungulu Cup in soccer. Why not Kagame Cup? One wonders. The answer is simple. These are domestic events. Events within a country with a well defined culture. But for one to rename a regional meet, and of all places in Africa, where there is no established culture and unity, is stooping low. My only prayer is that CECAFA reverse the decision before the international media pick interest in the subject. What will happen next year when say Kenya hosts the meet? Shall we have it turned to the Moi Cup? We can still do with the Confederation of East and Central Africa Football Association. This is our region, we all love to be identified that way. ends