Kampala, Uganda, May 05: President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has pledged to render special state support to the country’s sporting heroes to appreciate the contribution they made to their country.
The Ugandan leader made the pledge recently when he met former national boxing national boxing coach and Olympian Peter Seruwagi.
President Museveni move comes as recognition of the economic hardships many of the country’s former sporting hero’s and families face after serving their country in sporting arena.
Many of the former sports stars in the country are reported to be living in abject poverty in various parts across the country, despite the contribution they made towards development of sports and the country’s global prestige.
The Ugandan leader made the pledge recently when he met former national boxing national boxing coach and Olympian Peter Seruwagi.
President Museveni move comes as recognition of the economic hardships many of the country’s former sporting hero’s and families face after serving their country in sporting arena.
Many of the former sports stars in the country are reported to be living in abject poverty in various parts across the country, despite the contribution they made towards development of sports and the country’s global prestige.
According to the country’s media, the state of poverty most of the former sports stars are in has led to premature death of some of them who had they lived would have contributed further towards development of sports in the country.
The President acknowledged that government had not done enough towards former sportsmen and sportswomen for their contribution to the country.
But he attributed the situation to insecurity due to civil wars that had racked the country for decades as a major factor that had diverted government attention to attend to the needs of the country’s sports heroes.
He said time is now ripe for the country to start looking after former sports personalities or their families.
“We should look them up and help them or their families. They made a contribution to their country but because of the insecurity we had in our country we did not follow this up,” Museveni was quoted by The New Vision as saying Tuesday.
Uganda like most African countries do not have retirement policy for sportsmen this has had led to many of them experience financial hardship in the event they have quit the sporting arena.
The country’s The New Vision described the 83 year-old Seruwagi as the most successful boxing coach and that as a boxer in his hey days, he represented the country at various competitions continental and globally like the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.
“Besides being Uganda’s most successful coach, Seruwagi, 83, also carried the national flag as a boxer. He represented Uganda at the 1960 Rome Olympics,” the publication reported.
“He was a welterweight at these games where boxing legend Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali also featured,” it added.
It also recalled that the former pugilist also held many stage show boxing bouts with former Ugandan dictator, President Idi Amin one of which was the curtain raiser before the 1976 Africa Championship at Lugogo.
Sports personalities are reported to have welcomed the initiative that President Museveni has come up with in recognition of outstanding sports personalities in the country.
The President acknowledged that government had not done enough towards former sportsmen and sportswomen for their contribution to the country.
But he attributed the situation to insecurity due to civil wars that had racked the country for decades as a major factor that had diverted government attention to attend to the needs of the country’s sports heroes.
He said time is now ripe for the country to start looking after former sports personalities or their families.
“We should look them up and help them or their families. They made a contribution to their country but because of the insecurity we had in our country we did not follow this up,” Museveni was quoted by The New Vision as saying Tuesday.
Uganda like most African countries do not have retirement policy for sportsmen this has had led to many of them experience financial hardship in the event they have quit the sporting arena.
The country’s The New Vision described the 83 year-old Seruwagi as the most successful boxing coach and that as a boxer in his hey days, he represented the country at various competitions continental and globally like the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.
“Besides being Uganda’s most successful coach, Seruwagi, 83, also carried the national flag as a boxer. He represented Uganda at the 1960 Rome Olympics,” the publication reported.
“He was a welterweight at these games where boxing legend Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali also featured,” it added.
It also recalled that the former pugilist also held many stage show boxing bouts with former Ugandan dictator, President Idi Amin one of which was the curtain raiser before the 1976 Africa Championship at Lugogo.
Sports personalities are reported to have welcomed the initiative that President Museveni has come up with in recognition of outstanding sports personalities in the country.
By: Joel Chirwa
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