The games that were held in August 2019, concluded with Uganda bagging two silver and eight bronze medals. As a result, Uganda finished in position 28 out of the 53 nations that participated in the games Common wisdom would suggest that Uganda should be able to record a better performance this time, in Ghana, where the AAG are to be held between March 8 and 23.
However, the preparation for the games has been anything, but ideal. In fact, even by press-time, meetings at the National Council of Sports (NCS) were still going on to ascertain which sportsmen and women would comprise the whole team Uganda contingent.
PARTICIPATION
The NCS has reportedly been waiting for money from the ministry of Finance to help cover the logistical needs of Uganda’s athletes, that are supposed to be in Ghana. It is for that reason that the full contingent had not been announced, even as the day, when the games are expected to begin, drew close.
But, according to the chief de mission, who also works at NCS, Ivan Mugowa, Uganda would compete in 17 sporting disciplines. This includes: football for both men and women at under-20 level, rugby 7s, swimming, boxing, 3 on 3 basketball, judo, chess, taekwondo, cricket, badminton, cycling, wrestling, table tennis, and athletics, among others. Yet, even with the aforementioned disciplines, a lot will depend on the money available.
At the last games, boxers David Ssemujju and Isaac Masembe won silver for Uganda. But there was no gold won. The thirteenth edition of the AAG should provide a good opportunity for Uganda, which has participated in all the games since inception in 1965. A total of 87 medals, including 22 golds, 21 silvers and 44 bronzes have been won.
That should provide the required incentive for team Uganda at the AAG 2023 to go out and triumph. Victoria Pearls, Uganda women’s cricket team, are one collective poised to do well in Ghana. Over the last one year, their international wave has been growing.
TIMING OF GAMES
And as they prepare to take on Zimbabwe, Kenya and Rwanda, the stake is not only on making sure they finish within the medal bracket, but that they climb up the international rankings since cricket at the AAG is classified as T20i (Twenty-twenty internationals).
In addition, for the badminton stars like Gladys Mbabazi, who competed at the last games in 2019, Tracy Naluwoza, Husina Kobugabe, Augustine Owiny and Amos Muyanja, among others, have the AAG as a platform to qualify for the Olympics later this year provided they enter the medal bracket.
The build-up to the games in Ghana has been rather lukewarm. This has impacted on the general organization of the teams. Moses Muhangi, the president of Uganda Boxing, noted that it was on Sunday, March 3, that they were told to provide a list of seven boxers to represent the country at the games.
RELEVANCE OF GAMES
But before that, four pugilists: Joshua Tukamuhebwa, Yusuf Nkobeza, Shafik Mawanda and Emily Nakalema had flown to Italy for Olympic qualifiers that are ongoing. Therefore, whoever is chosen for the games, may lack the mental fortitude, that comes from preparation and readiness to compete at international level, Muhangi complained.
Furthermore, Uganda’s rugby sevens team is away in Uruguay for the World rugby challenger series between March 8 and 10, Montevideo. It is from there, that they must travel to Ghana, too. One wonders whether fatigue and jet-lag may not prove costly to their ambitions.
Moses Magogo, the Fufa president in his speech to both the men and women’s under-20 football teams, pointed out to the players, that this is their opportunity to showcase their talent. He noted that the future of national teams is in young players, and therefore they must prove how good they are at the games, for grander opportunities to come their way.
On the other hand, Muhangi said that the AAG are a good occasion to develop talent, which is good for Uganda. His concern, however, is on the fact that preparation is not adequate. That may make the cash promises to those who win medals for Uganda irrelevant.
This has brought some observers to criticize the games for lacking in cash prizes. In this day and age, when sport has become highly commercialized, most athletes are professional, and therefore expect their efforts to be rewarded the same way it is done at events like the World Athletics Championships.
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