The noises out of Team Uganda don’t augur well

Four years ago, a largely forgettable showing at London 2012 by Team Uganda turned into an historic Olympics on the very last day of the Games when Stephen Kiprotich delivered a stunning display in the marathon to win the country gold.

It was as unexpected as it was thrilling, a medal that few saw coming.
That achievement catapulted the country high on the world map and made the Games a success.
In truth, London was a poor showing. Moses Kipsiro was a disappointment in the 5,000m, there were no boxers at the Games for the first time in 60 years and the recurrent malaise of abject remuneration reared its ugly head.
Fast forward to Rio de Janeiro and nothing seems to have radically changed from four years ago.
Even with Kiprotich as the World and Olympic champion, somehow we have not fundamentally moved away from old habits.

In the last couple of months, there has been a salient struggle between the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) and the sports ministry over funding of Team Uganda.

Our athletes, who will be competing with the best the rest of the world has to offer, are unhappy over what they deem meager allowances and a substandard training regime.
I have long argued that sports is no longer a matter for the backdoor. It is a big constituency that must be debated, discussed and funded the way the government does with roads, defence, health and agriculture.

It is a matter of national priority that ought to be treated with intense thought and planning.

Here we are counting down the days left to the world’s biggest games on one finger and hoping for an accidental medal at the Olympics. If it happens – and I pray it happens, lightning will have struck twice. Sport does not work on accidents. And neither does success associate will ill-preparation and bickering.

Regardless of the outcome at Rio 2016, it will be foolhardy of Uganda to take part at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on the back of the kind of preparations we have had for Brazil.
There are lessons to be learnt. The problem is that Uganda is not famed for learning from lessons, recent or otherwise.

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Yet again the world media continue to make all noises about Brazil’s preparations.
Thankfully for a country that hosted a successful Fifa World Cup two years ago, they are now immune to all forms of negativity.

From the outside you would think everyone, who is travelling to Brazil, will be hit by a plague. The country’s transport has been criticised, officials attacked, strikes magnified and infrastructure termed deplorable.
In some instances, the criticism has been justified. But in most others, it has been uncalled for.

I know that come August 21, Rio de Janeiro 2016 will be remembered with distinction.
Legacies of all major events are written and sealed by sportsmen and women, not the magnificence of facilities that more often than not end up as white elephants.
For as long as track and field stars break records, footballers showcase their magical skills and boxers excel in the ring with memorable bouts, the supposed state of the Games Village will be turned into an irrelevance in the history books.

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Uganda Cranes’ most important match of the year, against Comoros on September 3, has had ticket prices increased by the federation.
I will concentrate on the Shs25,000 ticket, up by Shs5,000. It is the most significant ticket because its buyers are the ones who fill the stadium. They are the majority.
There are a few dissenting voices over the marginal increment but I find it realistic and appropriate that Fufa deemed it fit to increase the price.

First it is dissimilar to the 100% increment of Shs40,000 charged for the Uganda-Kenya game of five years ago. Then, the cost was a subject of derision by a section of fans, who felt the game had been priced out of their pockets needlessly.
Given that this match is of similar significance, a Shs5,000 increase can be justified five years later.
Whatever the result against Comoros, Fufa do need money for better facilitation of national teams of all age brackets and many other programmes.

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Uganda’s young team went down 89-73 to Africa powerhouse Tunisia in the Fiba U-18 Afrobasketball Championship in Kigali, Rwanda .
It was a gallant effort in a showdown where Uganda stretched the illustrious north Africans all the way until midway through the final quarter.
Nonetheless it is clear that basketball in the country will never be the same again.
Last year, Uganda’s male and female senior team has competed at Afrobasketball and now the juniors have flexed their muscles against the best Africa has to offer.
It is a big credit to Fuba’s administration and individuals like Mohammed Santur and Grace Kwizera, who have worked tirelessly to elevate the national team.
The bigger challenge now is ensuring that Uganda’s participation at Afrobasket becomes a rule and not an exception.
The bar has gone a notch higher and Fuba must sustain the development programmes ushered in to unearth new talent.

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@mnamanya