State Minister for Sports Hon Peter Ogwang has hailed Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association for organizing a Capacity building workshop.
On Wednesday, Ogwang officially opened the Capacity Building Training in School Sports Administration and Management for USSSA EXCOM at Front Page Hotel in Zzana, Entebbe Road.
The Minister said that this is a stepping stone to professionalism.
“We must accept to professionalize our Sport and it begins with capacity building – People must understand why they are involved with the Sports sub-sector,” Ogwang said.
“For me, I want to commend them (USSSA), they are beginning from the basics, and that’s what has been lacking.”
The Minister tasked the schools to focus on bringing raw talent rather than competing to win only.
“Those are things that I have been telling them, schools keep bringing non-students to compete, as Ministry we want only School-going students to take part. We want these schools and USSSA to identify the raw talent.
“Every school is just interested in winning but they must be interested in identifying, building, and promoting talent as well.”
He further advised USSSA to use the linkages with Sports Federations to develop talent.
Ogwang also commented on the issue of Facilities: “The issue of infrastructure, in this term of ours, we want to see how we work with Parliament to see how to put in more money to develop and put new infrastructure both at the district, regional and City level.”
“And we have already come up with a template on what entails to put up a good infrastructure. I already have a meeting next week with the Sports officers across the country to give them a position and a plan which we have.”
USSSA President Justus Mugisha said that they want to have Game teachers who know what they are doing.
“We want to have Games Teachers who know what they are doing with the kids so that they do the right thing right away from a young age,” he stated.
“We also want to have pupils start their professional careers in Sports when they are still very young.”
The workshop started with an administration course for the Executive committee of USSSA and also the secretaries of the zones.
There will also be the same courses in Zones and Districts, also, there will be capacity-building courses for coaches and referees, and media officers.
“We are also starting courses for children from the age of 10 and upwards. We have already registered a big number, about 760 and we will have two training one for December and January.
“Our target in the next three years is to train not less than 10,000 pupils to become coaches, referees, and media officers so that they can start their careers when they are still young.”
Mugisha also hinted that they have requested the Government to make a pre-condition to make it a requirement that for every private school to be licensed it must have a Sports Facility.
The opening day had Facilitators from FUFA including Ronnie Kalema, Mwebe Ali, Ahmed Hussein among others.
