AIPS president Merlo postpones visit to Uganda

Gianni Merlo

What you need to know:

He has expressed apologies for the failure to attend the 2014 Uspa road safety campaign in Entebbe but however promised to attend the Nile Special Uspa Gala slated for January 2015.

KAMPALA- International Sports Press Association (AIPS) President Gianni Merlo won’t be visiting Uganda as earlier planned due to unavoidable circumstances.

Merlo was supposed to arrive in the country tomorrow to grace Uganda Sports Press Association (Uspa) activities scheduled for Thursday and Saturday this week.

He has expressed apologies for the failure to attend the 2014 Uspa road safety campaign in Entebbe but however promised to attend the Nile Special Uspa Gala slated for January 2015.

Uspa president Mark Namanya explained that the veteran journalist will be in the country come next year and called upon all sports journalists to commemorate one of the association’s main calendar events.

“The road safety campaign, going into its 13th year, is held in memory of four Uspa executive members who perished in a road accident near Lugazi town in August 2001.

Francis Batte Junior, Leo Kabunga, Simon Peter Ekarot and Kenneth Matovu died on their way to Kampala from Jinja where they had been on Uspa duty.

All Uspa members will Thursday morning converge at Christ the King Church in Kampala to pray for the souls of their departed comrades. The association has so far lost more than 20 members since its formation in 1970.

THE PROGRAMME FOR USPA ACTIVITIES
Thursday, September 18
•Church Service at Christ the King for fallen Uspa colleagues (10:00-12pm)
•Nile Special Uspa Dinner to crown Moses Kipsiro at Imperial Royale Hotel (7:30-10:00pm)
Saturday, September 20
• Members head to Entebbe for Road Safety Campaign (7:30am)