USF: Fines meant to streamline national swimming gala

 

 

KAMPALA - The Uganda Swimming Federation (USF) has clarified that the recently introduced fines that will come in force during the fourth edition of the USF National Age Group Swimming Championships, June 23-24 at Kampala International School of Uganda pool are meant to standardize the event.

 

Addressing a press conference at UOC offices on Wednesday, USF president Donald Rukare said they had set qualifying times for each event of the events in the two-day event to ensure they ‘maintain a particular standard of a national event'.

 

"This is a premier national event so we expect premier teams and swimmers the reason we have included entry times.

 

"For the first time, we have also introduced fines and sanctions which is normal in most sporting events," Rukare stated.

 

He said the sanctions are not new and some of their members have been using them in their club events and that they are not meant to exclude anybody but to set standards.

 

Failure to meet any qualifying time in any of the events will attract sh50, 000 fines per infraction, payable immediately after the event. The offending swimmer will also not score any points for his/her side in respect of each event where the qualifying time is not met.

 

Withdraws from an event after the team managers' meeting on Thursday other than for medical reasons certified by the USF designated medical personnel, will also attract a Withdrawal Penalty of sh100, 000 or sh400, 000 in case of a withdraw from a relay.

 

Clubs that want to lodge a complaint during the event are also supposed to pay a non-refundable fee of sh375000.

 

The new sanctions have already scared off defending champions Seals Swim Club who have pulled out of the event reasoning that the penalty cost for not meeting the qualifying times as high.

 

 

But Rukare said the amounts can be revised in future but the sanctions will remain because it is the usual practice at events elsewhere.

 

"We want this to be an enabler to have swimming continue to improve so it shouldn't be a deterrent for members not to compete. But we shall engage the stakeholders so that they understand them; we are here to serve the best interest of the swimmers," Rukare noted.

 

USF vice president Muzafar Muwanguzi said the Seals competition will be missed but that the federation had to streamline the national competition which will go on with compliant members.

 

Three hundred swimmers from nine clubs; Altona, Dolphins, Kampala Aquatics, Silverfin Academy, Baseline, Makerere University, Gliders and Orcas Swim Club will participate in the event.