Sh3m up for grabs in East African Badminton Challenge

New Vision CEO Robert Kabushenga has challenged national sports associations to get organised in order to attract corporate sponsorship.

Kabushenga who is also the Mandela Group acting Chairman was addressing the press during the launch of the 3rd edition of the East African Badminton Challenge sponsored by City Tyres and LingLong due at the MTN Arena, October 7-9.

"I'm actually glad that Linglong and City Tyres have decided to sponsor Badminton; It is a message to the bigger sports; the day the bigger sports will get organised, is the day they will start getting bigger sponsorships like this with investors coming to support them because they is a lot of money to be made if the country is good at sports," Kabushenga noted.

He advised the organisers to consider adding clinics before the next edition in order to popularize the sport and endear it to many.

According to UBA CEO Simon Mugabi, the tournament has attracted 900 entries in different category competitions ranging from schools and universities as well as in different nationalities and corporate teams.

The schools tournament will have competitors in the U-10, 13, 15 and U-18 while the University Challenge will be between players from ten universities.

City tyres Marketing Manager Herbert Bashasha said the sporting culture of Ugandans had risen and hailed the UBA for their professional organisation of the tournament.

He said a sh3m mountain bike awaits the overall winner of the tournament while there is also a sh3m to be shared among the top professional players on top of trophies.

"We skipped a few years in between but we have come back in a big way. This one of the sports where the country has potential so we have come on board to promote it and take it to another level," Bashasha said

The tournament will have East African players, from Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi and Tanzania in action in the different categories.

The Indian community will have their own challenge while the Ugandan veterans above 35 years will also fight it out among themselves.