Diarrhoea scare in handball camp ahead of Addis trip
Handball national team players during training at Kibuli Police Training School, Kibuli. The coach has blamed poor hygiene for a diarrhoea outbreak in the camp. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
What you need to know:
Coach says outbreak has distracted team ahead of the All-Africa games qualifier away to Ethiopia.
The national handball team camp has been hit by a diarrhoea scare, just days before they depart to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the All Africa Games qualifiers. The team is meant to leave tomorrow night.
Team coach Jean Andres said he suspects the infection to be dysentery.
“We have been progressing in other areas but dysentery is distracting us at a very crucial moment; you see some of the players are right now in the toilet,” Andres, a Danish volunteer contracted with Uganda World Life Authority, revealed to Daily Monitor as the team tried to put final touches to their preparations at Police Training School, Kibuli Wednesday.
“It robs us of the concentration which is vital at this point because the tournament is drawing nearer; as some come back from the loos others go. You ask them to run, even the stomachs run, you know, it is very disturbing.”
What could be the cause? “Of course the sanitation in their residencies is pathetic, the food and the water is none the better,” Andres said.
While Andres freely talked about the health problems in camp, Uganda Handball Federation president Sheila Agonzibwa was cagey when contacted.
“We had some cases of typhoid but we got treatment and all the players are okay,” she said.
“Our only problem at the moment is accommodation fees and passports.”
There is an outbreak of typhoid in Kampala but Daily Monitor couldn’t independently verify whether the handball team players have fallen victim. The consequences of the health scare are more salt into the wound. Twelve (mostly key) players have skipped training sessions to prcess their passports from the immigration office. The players only got the passports last evening.
“By now we should be aware of the team we are going to travel with but it is impossible because however good one is, without a passport, they cannot travel,” head coach Bernard Opoka corroborates Andres’ worries.
Despite the health troubles, Andres is confident Uganda will secure a ticket to the All Africa Games due September in Congo Brazzaville.
But the team’s qualification will depend on whether they beat all the hurdles and get to Addis Ababa for the tournament starting on Sunday.
Andres, an international A’ Licence holder, says there has been progress since he joined the team three months ago.
“The coaching staff including Patrick (Tabale) and Flavia (Angwech) has done a big job. The players are now a team unlike before,” he said. “They were unfit, had chronicle injuries and very inflexible. They have really improved.”
