The 17th edition of the Airtel Masaza Cup kicks off on Saturday with defending champions Gomba taking on Kyadondo at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru.

This year’s tournament will be played under the theme ‘Men against AIDS to save the girl child. Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi 11 will grace the opening and kick-off this year’s tournament that will be closed out to fans to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19.

The winner of this year’s tournament will walk away with sh12m while the second third and fourth will bag sh9m, sh7m, and sh5m respectively. The top scorer will bag sh300,000.

The tournament was launched on Wednesday by the Second Deputy Katikkiro Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa alongside sponsors’ representatives from the different partners; Airtel (David Birungi), Centenary Bank (Joseph Balikuddembe), Majestic Brands (Robert Nsereko), organizing committee chairman Sulaiman Ssejjengo and his team as well as other dignitaries from the Buganda Kingdom and Members of Parliament attached to the different sub-counties.

Kyadondo County chief Agnes Nakibirige receives a jersey. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

“This tournament brings out so many things in Buganda, Uganda and the whole world. The major one is the unity that this tournament creates between the people of Buganda and those that stay within. The tournament is non-discriminatory and this is an important virtue that should continue to be promoted,” Nsibirwa said.

He said the organisation that goes through this tournament from the sub-counties has developed leadership skills and promoted many talents and helped in job creation.

“As per this year’s theme, the Kabaka demands of us the men to take the lead in protecting women against HIV/AIDS because it is the men that most of the time initiate love affairs with the women.

“We are going to ensure that we support the campaign to save people against the disease and offering counsel to those that are sick.”

He emphasised that Buganda is not a tribe but a nation under the Kabaka that is at the forefront of promoting endeavours that bring about unity, and that the Kabaka is for all people that stay in Buganda, and noting that the Masaza tournament creates a bond and brings about unity among all the people of Uganda.

He thanked the sponsors and partners for sticking with the kingdom and urged the fans of the different sub-counties to support their respective teams in both cash and kind and thanked FUFA offering them the venue at a subsidised fee.

Centenary Bank executive director Joseph Balikuddembe unveiled a sh165m cheque for this year’s tournament while Airtel director public relations David Birungi announced that the company has a sh650m running contract for the tournament.

Birungi pledged more support from the company and urged all people to get immunized against COVID-19. He noted that sporting activities in the kingdom have led to the development in the kingdom as well as helped in talent identification and development.

The Buganda Kingdom sports minister Henry Kiberu Ssekabembe also thanked the partners for their continued support and said that the Kabaka is not only keen on seeing talent development but also want to see improvement in the welfare of his subjects.

He urged the players to use this opportunity to prove themselves as they expose their talents.

He said each of the teams has received sh4m as a start-up on top of jerseys and five balls each. The cash will increase for those that will advance at every stage.