KIGALI – When Arsenal released Harry Kane at the age of eight, he may not have been good enough for the club. Today, at 33, he is the winner of the Ballon d’Or, football’s most coveted individual honor.

Between those two moments lies a story that should make us think twice about how quickly we judge human potential.

Kane was too young to fully understand rejection. His father, however, understood what mattered more than the decision itself. He put an arm around his son and told him: “We go again, and work even harder.”

That simple gesture helped keep a dream alive. Kane would endure loan spells, uncertainty and self-doubt before establishing himself among football’s elite.

His rise is a testament to determination, but it also carries a lesson about the people and opportunities that allow talent to flourish.

For Rwanda, a country that has spent almost the same number of years rebuilding after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, that lesson should resonate deeply. Our history demonstrates the extraordinary power of resilience.

However, the bigger question is how to ensure that the next generation of Rwandans has the opportunities to turn its potential into achievement by allowing resilience to help us overcome the past and unlock the future.

Beyond the ability to endure

Rwanda’s transformation has been visible in many areas, including sport. The country has invested in modern facilities, expanded international sporting partnerships and created opportunities for young athletes to develop their abilities.

The renovated Amahoro Stadium, the BK Arena and the growth of youth development programs reflect an ambition that wants sport to contribute to national development while giving its athletes a stronger platform to compete.

The 2026 Basketball Africa League triumph by RSSB Tigers, in their debut season, offered a striking example of what can happen when ambition meets preparation and opportunity.

Meanwhile, initiatives such as the FIFA Talent Development Scheme are creating competitive platforms for young footballers to demonstrate their abilities. These are significant steps, but infrastructure and ambition must ultimately translate into opportunities for people.

A stadium can host thousands of spectators, but its wider value also depends on what it makes possible for the young athlete training far from the spotlight.

A development program matters not merely because it exists, but because it can help a talented child progress from the school playground to competitive sport and, potentially, an international career.

Kane’s story forces us to confront an uncomfortable possibility of how much talent might remain undiscovered when an early assessment becomes a lasting verdict.

Not every child released by a football academy will become a superstar. Nor does every disappointing result conceal extraordinary ability. But human potential is rarely so simple that it can always be measured at one moment in a person’s development.

The responsibility to recognize potential

In several ways, Rwanda has demonstrated that ambition need not be constrained by its size or difficult beginnings.

At the recent announcement of Rwanda’s Formula One African Grand Prix in October, President Paul Kagame articulated a principle that speaks directly to this challenge.

“The message for all of us is simple: sports is a great equalizer, but we have to be intentional about delivering this promise. We want to contribute, not just participate, and this new chapter in motorsports starts today,” he said.

By this, he meant that hosting prestigious competitions and building world-class facilities can raise Rwanda’s profile, attract investment and inspire young people. But the deeper achievement will be ensuring that Rwandans can participate in the opportunities these investments create.

A young person introduced to motorsport today should be able to imagine a future not only as a spectator, but also as a driver, engineer, mechanic or entrepreneur.

The same principle applies to football, where grassroots competitions, quality coaching and credible pathways to professional clubs can help turn raw ability into excellence.

It also extends beyond sport. A student struggling today may discover their strengths tomorrow; a young entrepreneur may need mentorship before an idea becomes a viable business.

The responsibility of institutions is not to guarantee success, but to ensure that early setbacks and limited resources do not unnecessarily close the door to progress.

Kane’s father could not have known that his son would one day win the Ballon d’Or. He simply refused to let one rejection define the boy’s future.

Rwanda faces a similar responsibility, not to predict which young people will excel, but to create conditions in which more of them have a fair chance to find out.

That is how resilience becomes more than the ability to overcome adversity. It becomes the foundation for unlocking human potential.

Kane’s journey offers no guarantee that perseverance will always end in glory. Many people work hard without reaching the heights they imagine. Circumstances, resources and opportunity matter, too.

That is precisely why his story should not be reduced to telling young people to work harder. It should also challenge those who shape their futures to create conditions in which hard work has a fair chance of bearing fruit.

The boy Arsenal released did not need the club to predict his future correctly. He needed the chance to keep developing elsewhere.

As Rwanda, our ambition should not end with building a country that can overcome adversity. It should extend to building one that can recognize potential before the world recognizes achievement.

Because a nation’s future may depend not only on the talent it celebrates today, but also on the talent it refuses to overlook tomorrow.

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