Former Cranes star calls for mindset shift towards careers in sports

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Former Uganda Cranes player Geoffrey Sserunkuuma has called on the government, schools and parents to treat sports as a viable career path, just like traditional professions such as medicine, engineering and law.

Sserunkuuma said that in many European countries, sportsmen and women are highly valued and well paid, making them role models for young people. He noted that this recognition has contributed to those countries’ long-standing dominance in various sporting disciplines.

Female students compete in a short relay during the Seeta High School A Campus inter-house sports competition on Monday. (Photo by Henry Nsubuga)

“In those countries, children grow up seeing sports personalities as role models because they are constantly in the limelight and rewarded for their talent,” he said. “That is why many of them work hard to follow in their footsteps.”

He made the remarks at Seeta High School A-Campus during the climax of the school’s month-long inter-house sports competition held on Easter Monday under the theme “From Talent to Greatness.”

While commending the government for efforts to promote sports, Sserunkuuma called for increased funding and the timely release of resources to support talent development.

Teachers and parents cheer on their peers participating in the short relay competition during the Seeta High School A-Campus inter-house sports event. (Photo by Henry Nsubuga)

“It is high time parents and teachers recognised that nurturing a child’s sports talent is one of the greatest gifts,” he said, noting that today’s young sportspersons can achieve international recognition at an early age.

The event’s chief guest, Stephen Kiprotich, urged students to value effort, discipline and resilience over simply winning. His message, delivered by a representative from the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Youth Affairs, Paul Rukundo, emphasised that sports help build character and teamwork.

“Sports teach us important values: teamwork, resilience, and discipline,” he said in his message. “Every experience, whether a win or a loss, shapes you into a stronger person.”

School headteacher Ramadhan Songha said more than 1,000 students participated in various activities, including football, netball, volleyball and basketball, competing under houses named Mandela, Nkrumah, Nyerere and Lumumba.

Paul Lukundo (right), representing Stephen Kiprotich, delivers his speech at the Seeta High School A-Campus inter-house competitions on Monday. (Photo by Henry Nsubuga)

Seeta High Schools principal, Davis Kafumbe, said the institution has remained committed to nurturing both academic excellence and talent since its founding more than 25 years ago.

“We promised to produce not only academic achievers but also talented individuals, and we are fulfilling that mission,” he said.

Lumumba House emerged overall winner with 277 points, followed by Nyerere House with 253, Nkrumah with 234 and Mandela with 174.

One of the event’s most valuable players, student Rashimie Sounders, encouraged wider participation among learners, noting that some students shy away from engaging in sports.

Lumumba House members celebrate their victory with a bull and a trophy. (Photo by Henry Nsubuga)

“I wanted my house to win, and that’s why I took part in many activities,” she said.

Parents did not only take on a spectator role but also actively participated, with many dressed in sportswear. Others, despite not being fully prepared for the occasion, competed barefoot in the short relay races alongside teachers. In the end, teachers won both the men’s and women’s races, but the experience proved lively and memorable for all involved.

Lumumba House, the overall winners, secured a cow and a trophy, while the other houses from second to third place also received trophies.