2020 was a year to forget for Uganda Darts Association

Just like other sporting disciplines that were adversely affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Uganda Darts Association was not spared.

The year kicked off very well with the New Year's Open as well as the Annual General Meeting held on February 29 at Mamerito Hotel in Bweyogerere, Wakiso.

At the AGM a new executive committee led by Bosco Lepi as chairman was elected alongside David Tabaro (vice-chairman) and Gerald Khosam as the general secretary.

According to Tabaro the year 2020 has been a dead one because of the drawbacks that were caused by the pandemic despite darts being categorised as a low-risk sport.

"We have been unable to implement all our activities as we had planned from March to date because it's still costly for individual players and clubs to carry out covid-19 tests. More so training has not been possible because most clubs host their games in bars which are still closed up to now and this has kept our players off form," said Tabaro.

"Darts equipment and accessories were not easily accessed. Our main source being Kenya, importation was hampered for long," Tabaro stated.

However, despite the challenges, Tabaro says that the Association has also registered some success.

"Through Government and National Council of Sports, we acquired support in form of temperature guns, hand washing gadgets and they helped us to have virtual meetings," he noted.

Due to the pandemic Inter-District competitions, Uganda Open, East African Darts Association Championships, Regional Darts tournament, Festive Season Playoffs as well as the Veteran Cup could not be staged.

Plans for 2021

Starting next year, Tabaro says they will put all focus on development, sponsorship as well as popularising the game in the whole country.

"We are in the final stages of coming up with electronic ways of having games.

"We shall pilot this scheme which is likely to be a revolution in our game to the extent that if the international federation adopts such approaches, we shall never miss international events where we will be able to play against foreign opponents from their backyard," Tabaro said.

"We plan to introduce darts to secondary schools and to boost the playing of darts in universities and other tertiary institutions as well as working with the District Sports Officers to popularise the game in the districts," he told New Vision.