The Uganda Woodball Federation (UWbF) has offered woodball equipment worth sh7.2m to the Karamoja Games as a start-up towards the sport’s development in the North-Eastern region of the country.

UWbF vice president-marketing Shahnaaz Luwedde who was in the company of UWbF administrator Julius Agaba presented the equipment to Karamoja Games chairman Richard Okot at the UWbF offices on Thursday.

The equipment included 18 sets of woodball equipment (balls, mallets, gates, and a bag) that will go to all the nine districts (2 each).

Luwedde said the federation will use the opportunity of the Karamoja Games to officially launch the sport in the sub-region and also interest the Karimojong into turning their energies from the internal fights with guns, and cattle rustling to sports.

The federation will also send technical experts in the sport to boost capacity building to help in the growth of the sport within the region. They will also send players to compete in the Karamoja Games due April 29-30 in Nakapiripirit.

“The federation has committed to supporting this prestigious project of the Karamoja Games because this is going to help us reach out to many potential players,” Luwedde noted.

Districts of Kabong, Kotido, Nakapiripirit, Abim, Napak, Karenga, Nabilatuk, Amudat, and Moroto will each receive two sets of equipment and also pick teams (men and women) that will take part in the woodball competition during the games according to Okot.

“Our target is to produce very good woodball players from the region that can compete at national and international competitions soon,” Okot said.

He said the main objective of the games is to help forge unity in Karamoja through sports from where different talents will then be tapped so that they can eventually earn a livelihood through sports.

“We are also targeting the school dropouts and we want to engage them in different sports; woodball, netball, volleyball, athletics, and football. I believe that the Karimojong will be able to concentrate on sports and know that it is for their livelihood and that through sports Karamoja will be united, the talents will be exposed, and that peace will prevail in Karamoja,” Okot stated.