$550k may keep Uganda away from All Africa Games

$550k may keep Uganda away from All Africa Games

Thursday, August 27, 2015 6:13 pm


Uganda sportswoman

Uganda sportswoman

Uganda’s participation at the 11th All Africa Games (AAG), Congo Brazzaville is in doubt, following the country’s sports governing body’s admission of being in financial turmoil, ahead of the start of the Games.

The Games are scheduled to run from Sept. 4 to Sept. 19, in Congo, Brazzaville..

A statement in Thursday’s “Insidethegames’’, an online portal said that Uganda National Council of Sports is facing problems with funding.

Jasper Aligawesa, the secretary of council said they were facing a 550,000 dollar deficit in financing the athletes to the 10th edition of the Games held in Maputo, Mozambique.

“There is no way we shall take the full contingent of 80 people, if we don’t get all the money,” it said.

The statement said the sports council was looking toward the Government for help in providing funding to be able to field a full team of athletes at the Brazzaville Games.

It added that a team of 55 athletes would be expected to represent Uganda at the Games in nine sports.

The sports are: Athletics, Badminton, Women’s Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis and Weightlifting.

The statement said that Charles Bakkabulindi, Uganda’s Sports Minister had earlier called for financial backing for the team in other to attend event.

It also claimed that they only had 500 million Ugandan shillings (about 140,000 dollars) of the 2 billion Ugandan shillings (about 562,000 dollars) required to fund their teams for the Games.

“We will need everyone’s backing, especially the corporate world. Teams need finances for preparation and participation.

“So, any company with a social responsibility cause should come in handy,’’ it said.

The online portal reports that Uganda finished in the 14th place on the overall medals table at the last AAG which took place in Maputo, Mozambique’s, in 2011.

The country won four gold medals, one silver and three bronzes at the event.

Meanwhile, Uganda’s top athletes, Stephen Kiprotich and Moses Kipsiro, would not compete in Brazzaville.

Dominic Otuchet, President of the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF), said Kiprotich, the Olympic champion would need further rest after participation at the IAAF world championship in Beijing.

The 26- year-old’s placed sixth in the 10 kilometre race.

It added that, Moses Kipsiro, a two-time winner of the Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres and over 5,000m would also be absent in Brazzaville having failed to qualified for the event


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