Rwanda defends jersey deal with Arsenal

KIGALI: Rwanda has hit back at

 criticism of its 34mil (RM156mil) sponsorship deal with English football club Arsenal, saying that the money being invested comes from tourism revenue and not donor aid, as has been suggested.

The announcement that the poor east African nation was forking out millions to have “Visit Rwanda” emblazoned on the Arsenal players’ shirts was met with outrage by tabloids in Britain – a major donor to Rwanda of foreign aid.

“British taxpayers will be rightly shocked to learn that a country supported by huge handouts from the UK is in turn pumping millions into a fabulously rich football club in London. It’s ludicrous,” British newspaper the Daily Mail quoted Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen as saying.

But Rwanda’s Deputy Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe hit back, saying, “Donor aid is specific and well accounted for in Rwanda. The money being used for the Arsenal deal is from tourism revenues.”

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is an Arsenal fan and his government has ambitious plans to draw tourists to a country synonymous with the 1994 genocide.

Rwandan Arsenal fan Olivier Muhizi said many Asian and Western countries do this routinely.

“Rwanda does not deserve criticism. It has done nothing wrong,” Muhizi said. — dpa