Chennaiyin defender Emmanuel Imanishimwe co-founds Bright Football Academy in Kigali

Chennaiyin FC defender Emmanuel Imanishimwe, set for his maiden Indian Super League season, is co-founder of the Bright Football Academy in Kigali, Rwanda, which provides training, clothing and equipment free of charge to 120-odd children, he told The Hindu in Chennai on August 30, 2026.

The 31-year-old joined Chennaiyin as a new signing and has described the academy as a way of "giving back" to the game that helped him. He established the centre with former national-team colleague Dany Usengimana and said the project aims to help youngsters succeed.

Children are selected for the academy through trials held in Kigali, with those chosen receiving free training, clothing and equipment. Players who enrol themselves at the centre are charged a nominal fee, Emmanuel said, and the academy currently works with roughly 120-odd football-mad youngsters in the capital.

Eric Habimana, who coached Emmanuel when he was young, now heads the academy, a development Emmanuel linked to his personal motivation. "The person who coached me when I was young (Eric Habimana) is now heading our academy. I wanted to do something for him... I want the youngsters to be successful. That is why I am doing everything I can," Emmanuel, set for his maiden Indian Super League, told The Hindu.

Emmanuel also outlined the academy's funding model and ambitions: "We select players from Kigali to come to our academy. Our sponsors and well-wishers have also contributed to this journey. We want to make it a bigger project in the future. It is not easy in terms of funding, but we will keep trying," he added.

On the field, Emmanuel signalled strong intent for his time with Chennaiyin: "We, at Chennaiyin, want to win something. I feel that we will do something. We have good players and we are going to fight." He said a 'Bright' beginning in Indian football is what the versatile defender is aiming for.

Emmanuel is due to begin his maiden Indian Super League season with Chennaiyin, while maintaining that the Bright Football Academy will continue seeking support to expand and sustain its work with young players in Kigali.