Museveni promises to fund sports in future

Feb 25, 2017

Museveni told Infantino that the government had a lot of challenges

 
President Museveni meeting the world football head Gianni Infantino 
 
President Yoweri Museveni has given FUFA a reality check in their quest for more government funding.
 
Museveni while meeting world football head Gianni Infantino at State House on Friday, assured FUFA that he is well aware that sports needs more funding, but there are more urgent issues to first be addressed.
 
Museveni told Infantino that the government had a lot of challenges that had to be addressed before embarking on things like sports.
 
Government has nevertheless seriously funded the national soccer side over the past three years.

“The government will support sports more in the future. Uganda had been engaged in some of the basic social infrastructure. In the coming years, we shall be in sports,” said Museveni.

Museveni was answering a call by Infantino for more government funding for the national football body.
 
“God created things in 6 days and created human beings on Saturday. This does not mean that human beings are not important. No. But some things had to be done first. What is it to have sports with insecurity? We couldn’t skip basics for sustainability,” he added.

He also informed the visiting FIFA delegation that the government supports sports and does not interfere with sports activities unless there is misuse of resources and corruption, which is a crime. He added that that he himself is a football fun.

“I used to support football until 1970 when I went into other things.”
 
Museveni also discussed with Mr. Infantino more ways of improving and promoting sports in Uganda and mentioned the renovation of stadiums, among others.
 
Museveni used the occasion to congratulate the national soccer team, the Cranes, for not only qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations but also being voted as the team of the year. 
 
Infantino thanked the President and the government for all efforts geared to the promotion of sports.

The meeting was attended, among others, by State Minister for Sports, Hon. Bakabulindi Charles and Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) President, Mr. Moses Hassim Magogo.

 
Meanwhile Infantino has promised more support for cash strapped regional football body CECAFA.
 
The 12-nation’s financial woes last year had it failing to host its annual competition- the Senior Challenge Cup.
 
CECAFA’s miseries could soon be history following a promise by world soccer governing body to support such regional tournaments.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino while meeting FUFA executive members on Friday at Serena Hotel promised more support for Africa.

Infantino stressed that regional competitions like CECAFA will be a key area of focus.
 
He met different stakeholders yesterday before going to Rwanda where he was scheduled to wind up his African tour.
 
Infantino pledged to invest more in the development of structures that will ultimately boost the continent’s football.
 
He noted that FIFA had previously not done much in the development of football structures in Africa.
 
He cited his initiative of increasing the number of World Cup teams. Under the 48-team format Africa could get up to nine slots.
 
His predecessor Sepp Blatter was revered in Africa for not only increasing the continent’s World Cup representation to five, but also ultimately bringing football biggest competition to Africa.
 
Africa has extended an even bigger embrace to Infantino for a further increase in World Cup slots.
 
There is even more reason for Africa to warm up to the Swiss-Italian. He has tremendously increased the money offers to Fifa’s affiliates.
 
Each of Fifa’s 209 countries is now assured of $5m over four years, while the confederations - the six continental blocs - will be paid $40m.
 
There is another $4m regionally for youth tournaments and $1m for travel costs.
 
The FUFA president hailed Infantino’s efforts towards developing African football and promised to support his programs by implementing them in Uganda.
 

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