Rwanda…. Fina Bank is pleased to announce a substantial sponsorship of TEAM RWANDA, the Rwanda National Cycling Team which will run until the end of 2010 with an option to renew.

Team Rwanda, founded in 2006, is the first professional cycling team based in Central Africa and this sponsorship, in addition to assisting in meeting general operational expenses of the team, is aimed at helping the coaching staff to identify and train future Rwandan cyclists, as well as raising awareness of how cycling can boost national unity.

According to Fina Bank Rwanda’s Managing Director, Mr. Steve Caley, this support will go a long way in uplifting Team Rwanda, making it a positive symbol of Rwanda as well as developing a previously untapped pool of extraordinary sporting talent. “In an age when professional sport is becoming increasingly expensive to run and maintain, Team Rwanda has shown what is possible with consistent talent and spirit, even with limited resources,” he notes. “The National Coach has seen great potential in the local population, and Fina Bank is stepping in to help them take this to the next level of both success and public awareness” asserts Mr. Caley.

“Because of Rwanda’s unique local geography, local cyclists have the potential to become as successful in their field as the Kenyans and Ethiopians are as long distance runners; after all, the country is known as The Land of a Thousand Hills. Members of Team Rwanda have a built in advantage in that their training is conducted on these very hills. Team Rwanda members, among who are a number of “survivors”, are ambassadors of their country, with the purpose of spreading the image of a different Rwanda” He affirms.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Mr. Jock Boyer, Team Rwanda’s National Coach, acknowledges that this support will enable the team to take its performance to a higher level and promote talented young men and women to further rebuild national pride in Rwanda.

Fina Bank Group has consistently supported sports in the East African region where it operates and, currently, the bank is sponsoring a cross country rally event in Kenya comprising of three rounds distributed throughout the year. In addition, the bank has also supported motor sports events in both Rwanda and Uganda and Fina Bank in Rwanda also actively supports schools cricket.

The Fina Bank logo will, therefore, be prominently in view at forthcoming cycling events in Rwanda over the next 15 months; these include the Tour of Kigali and the flagship event, the Tour of Rwanda due to be held in November 2009, as well as other regular events in which the national team takes part.