By Akanimo Sampson
The Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo will soon get a judo sports centre. The project is part of Japan’s initiatives in the country.
DR Congo’s Deputy Minister of the Interior, Security, Decentralization and Customary Affairs, Jean-Claude Molipe, and Manami Hiro, the Japanese Ambassador to DRC recently launched the construction of Congolese National Police Judo Sports Center in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Central African country.
The Congolese National Police Judo Sports Center will be implemented by Nippon Koei Co. Ltd., Japans number one international company. It is engaged in the business of construction consulting and power engineering service.
It is also be handled by Koei Research & Consulting Inc. (KRC), a company based in Japan that provides high-quality, creative consulting services for the various needs of developing countries.
Upon completion, expectedly in June next year, the sports facility will have nearly 800 seats, an arena, a multi-purpose hall, and a well-equipped fitness room.
It will not only be used for Judo as its name suggests but also for other indoor sports such as basketball, volleyball, and other martial arts activities.
The Congolese National Police Judo Sports Center is funded to the tune of $13 million non-repayable aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance for the government of Japan.
This aid is subject to a grant agreement signed by the agency and the Government of the DRC back in 2018 in support of the “sport for tomorrow” initiative launched by the former Prime Minister of Japan Abe Shinzo with the objective of promoting sports in the world and more specifically in the Central African country.
According to Ambassador Hiro, the sports facility will not only promote sports activities in the country but also the coexistence between the Police Nationale Congolaise (PNC) or rather the Congolese National Police and the civilian population since it is built within the General Police Station.
