Inadequate allowances hamper volleyball team

A national woman volleyball player who did not want to be named has explained that many of the players on the national women volleyball team are not committed enough in training because they cannot afford regular transport to Lubowa.

The team is in non-residential training at International School of Uganda, Lubowa, preparing for the Africa 2016 Summer Olympics qualifier due next month in Cameroon. The squad of 18 players trains every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Uganda Volleyball Federation (UVF) had considered withdrawing the team from the qualifiers because the players ‘lacked focus on training'.

But one player, on condition of anonymity, said the training allowance they receive is too little to transport them to and from Lubowa.

"We are privileged to be on the national team. It is a dream of any player but conditions don't allow us to turn up regularly. Many of us are students and don't have the money to spend on ourselves and yet the allowance is too little to sustain a player until the next training day," the player, who preferred anonymity explained.

The women, who converge from as far as Ndejje, Mukono and Entebbe, are paid between sh8,000 and sh20,000 every time they train.

Another senior player Prossy Alobo had insinuated the same in an earlier interview with New Vision when she urged UVF to find sponsors to motivate the team ahead of the qualifiers.

The team is expected to go into camp a week instead of two as earlier planned before they go for the qualifiers starting February 12.

Uganda is pitted against hosts Cameroon, Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.

UVF has only raised sh17.5m of the sh68m required to make the trip.