Following settlement of their affiliation fees to the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG), the Gymnastics Association of Uganda (GAU) plans to roll out the sport countrywide.

The association has through the Kampala Gymnastics Club embarked on training potential athletes that they hope to send to different competition outside the country in the near future.

According to the GAU assistant general secretary Kassim Latigo what they are trying to do now is to awaken the sport and to create awareness because ‘gymnastics is the core of all sports’.

One of the club members somersaults as he goes through gymnastic exercise drills by Kampala Gymnastic Club at Lugogo, June 6 2021. Photos by Michael Nsubuga

“Two years ago we decided to re-awaken the sport and what the Kampala Gymanstisc club is trying to do now is to showcase what they have been cooking,” Latigo said as the gymnasts went through their paces at Lugogo on Saturday.

“We would love to take some of these gymnasts to competitions outside the country. But first of all in October-November we shall have most of our coaches trained by an instructor from South Africa because they lack the qualifications and we hope that will set the precedence for spreading the game across the country, and of course the level of the sport,” Latigo stated.

During the Team Uganda Tokyo 2020 Run, in Kapchorwa last year the GAU made their first-ever public display as gymnasts from Act Sports Club from Kumi entertained guests with a somersaulting and acrobatics display.

The call then was to have the sport made as compulsory subject in schools and for tutors to put emphasis on the students taking it as an Olympic sport.

Gymnastics is a sport that includes exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and endurance.