UOC launches toolkit

By James Bakama

SPORTS facilities could soon be among Uganda’s most environmentally friendly places. This follows development a toolkit on sustainable sport and environment.

The toolkit, the first of its kind in Africa, is the brainchild of Uganda Olympic Committee.

UOC together with environment management bodies like KCCA, National Environment Management Authority, National Forestry Authority and Makerere University last week developed the toolkit.

“Environmental sustainability lies at the heart of the Olympic movement, and in fact, it is one of the pillars of Olympism,” explained UOC president William Blick at the end of a workshop that developed the toolkit at Sheraton hotel.

Blick explained that the toolkit will be used as a guiding document to national sports federations on how to integrate environmental sustainability in their Sports programmes.

Sport will also be used as a vehicle to champion environmental protection, tree planting, the ‘Green approach’ among others.

UOC becomes Africa’s first national Olympic committee to develop a toolkit aimed at guiding the sports community on the environment use.

It will also address issues pertaining to the role of coaches, athletes, spectators and other stakeholders on environmental protection.

UOC will conduct a training for national federations about this Toolkit, and also train athletes to use their fame by acting as ambassadors for the environment.

“We will use Sheraton as the first implementer of this Toolkit by placing a Sports recycling message at each of its’ Sports facilities i.e. the gymnasium, the basketball court, swimming pool and others,” promised Blick.

The workshop was organized by UOC’s sports and environment commission. 

Sheraton Kampala Hotel Managing Director Ian Duncan, who was chief guest at the workshop closure, applauded the initiative. 

NFA Communication and Public Relations Manager Gilbert Kadilo said the toolkit marked the starting point of the authority’s teamwork with UOC.