It shouldn’t be Tamwesigire keeping athletes in the dark
Aug 15, 2011
UGANDA’S team to the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique next month is shrouded in guesswork. The numbers to make the contingent are not officially known yet.
By Wangwe Mulakha
UGANDA’S team to the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique next month is shrouded in guesswork. The numbers to make the contingent are not officially known yet.
New Vision last week reported that a paltry four athletes from four disciplines will travel accompanied by only one coach. Sports commissioner Dan Tamwesigire was quoted having directed NCS so.
A month earlier Ugandans had been assured of over 200 sportsmen making it the games, the biggest contingent ever. This was encouraging to the sportsmen who had for four years sweated in preparation for the continental showpiece.
Tamwesigire later shattered these spirits when he announced that the team had been reduced to 62 warning of more cuts downwards. And he did exactly that two days later. He directed that only four sportsmen from athletics, tennis, badminton, and boxing or table tennis will make the trip with “one coach†for the four-discipline team.
What a herculean task for such ‘super coach’ who will hope from one arena to another to cater for sportsmen with varying demands. Mind you; some of events take place at the same time and in far apart venues.
With due respect, Tamwesigire – a teacher, university lecturer, sports officer and former athletics and volleyball federations president – is very conversant with the tribulations sports federations go through to prepare teams for international meets.
He should not have been the person to keep many in the dark and guessing until the eleventh hour.
UGANDA’S team to the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique next month is shrouded in guesswork. The numbers to make the contingent are not officially known yet.
New Vision last week reported that a paltry four athletes from four disciplines will travel accompanied by only one coach. Sports commissioner Dan Tamwesigire was quoted having directed NCS so.
A month earlier Ugandans had been assured of over 200 sportsmen making it the games, the biggest contingent ever. This was encouraging to the sportsmen who had for four years sweated in preparation for the continental showpiece.
Tamwesigire later shattered these spirits when he announced that the team had been reduced to 62 warning of more cuts downwards. And he did exactly that two days later. He directed that only four sportsmen from athletics, tennis, badminton, and boxing or table tennis will make the trip with “one coach†for the four-discipline team.
What a herculean task for such ‘super coach’ who will hope from one arena to another to cater for sportsmen with varying demands. Mind you; some of events take place at the same time and in far apart venues.
With due respect, Tamwesigire – a teacher, university lecturer, sports officer and former athletics and volleyball federations president – is very conversant with the tribulations sports federations go through to prepare teams for international meets.
He should not have been the person to keep many in the dark and guessing until the eleventh hour.