Kampala, Uganda, February 5: A wrangle between the Uganda Minstry of Education and Sports has deepened with the sports federations petitioning President Yoweri Museveni to intervene into the matter.
The point of contention is the implementation of the law enacted last year law that states that all sports federations are required to be incorporated and registered as trustees under the National Council of Sports Act 1964.
All sporting federations in the country were required to reapply within six months to the National Council of Sports (NCS) or risk being disbanded.
But the sports governing federations have not taken things laying down and they have been up in arms against the law which is to affect about 50 of them in the country.
The point of contention is the implementation of the law enacted last year law that states that all sports federations are required to be incorporated and registered as trustees under the National Council of Sports Act 1964.
All sporting federations in the country were required to reapply within six months to the National Council of Sports (NCS) or risk being disbanded.
But the sports governing federations have not taken things laying down and they have been up in arms against the law which is to affect about 50 of them in the country.
Uganda Football Federations (FUFA) one of the signatory of the petition accused NCS and the Ministry of targeting the soccer governing body arguing that when the law was being drafted the federation’s input was not sought.
FUFA president Moses Magogo said the law if implemented in current state would economically stifle the sporting federations and was also in conflict with statutes of the World soccer governing body FIFA.
“We can’t do business because the Act is telling us to be amateur. And yet there is no money coming in from government. So how do we run the federations? They have told us to start up trustees but a trustee can’t affiliate to FIFA,” he argued.
The latest petition was the second in a period of four months to be submitted to the government.
The Sporting federations also secured Court Injunction to rein in government attempts to disband them in course of implementing the current law.
Over 20 national sports federations appended their signature to latest petition at a ceremony held the offices of Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) in Lugogo.
The international Olympic Committee (IOC) is reported to have advised the sporting federations through UOC to resolve the wrangles with the government amicably.
“They have advised us that we reach out to the powers –that- be with the view of solving the misunderstandings amicably,” said UOC president, William Blick.
According to the Secretary of Uganda Swimming Federation (USF), Moses Mwase IOC has been updated on the matter from the time the wrangles were sparked.
“We have been keeping IOC posted on what is going on here,”Mwase told journalists.
If the Uganda government stuck to its guns and fails to resolve their differences with the sporting federations the country risks to be kicked out of all global competitions.
“However, if the disagreement is not resolved, they will not have option but to ban Uganda,”Blick added.
The ban would result Ugandan athletes missing out on high profiled on big competitions including the Netball World Cup in August and next year’s Olympic Games in the event IOC cracks its whip.
FUFA president Moses Magogo said the law if implemented in current state would economically stifle the sporting federations and was also in conflict with statutes of the World soccer governing body FIFA.
“We can’t do business because the Act is telling us to be amateur. And yet there is no money coming in from government. So how do we run the federations? They have told us to start up trustees but a trustee can’t affiliate to FIFA,” he argued.
The latest petition was the second in a period of four months to be submitted to the government.
The Sporting federations also secured Court Injunction to rein in government attempts to disband them in course of implementing the current law.
Over 20 national sports federations appended their signature to latest petition at a ceremony held the offices of Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) in Lugogo.
The international Olympic Committee (IOC) is reported to have advised the sporting federations through UOC to resolve the wrangles with the government amicably.
“They have advised us that we reach out to the powers –that- be with the view of solving the misunderstandings amicably,” said UOC president, William Blick.
According to the Secretary of Uganda Swimming Federation (USF), Moses Mwase IOC has been updated on the matter from the time the wrangles were sparked.
“We have been keeping IOC posted on what is going on here,”Mwase told journalists.
If the Uganda government stuck to its guns and fails to resolve their differences with the sporting federations the country risks to be kicked out of all global competitions.
“However, if the disagreement is not resolved, they will not have option but to ban Uganda,”Blick added.
The ban would result Ugandan athletes missing out on high profiled on big competitions including the Netball World Cup in August and next year’s Olympic Games in the event IOC cracks its whip.
By: Joel Chirwa
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