Blick leaves UOC studious after years of turmoil

William Blick has done something rarely heard of in Ugandan sports federations: he’s handing over the presidency of Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) after eight years in charge.
The man who assumed leadership of UOC after he and a group of others ousted Rogers Ddungu in a power struggle in 2012 was not pushed out but willfully dropped the Mic.

Ddungu, accused of entitlement and running down UOC, among others, had also in 2009 fought his way into removing Maj Gen Francis Nyangweso, who had showed no sign of relinquishing an office he had held from 1981.

It is perhaps from this background that while travelling upcountry early last year, a source close to UOC power told this reporter that: “If Blick tries to stick to office, he will see our true colours.”
The suspicion of leaders having no will to relinquish power is rife in this country but Blick and his executive sorted that when they introduced term limits during their constitutional review in 2019.

However peaceful the transition from Blick to National Council of Sports (NCS) chairman Donald Rukare has come, it has not happened without criticism.
“I’m deeply concerned that an electoral process that doesn’t clearly state when voters will register… and publishing of the final register could lead to a number of electoral problems making the whole election lack credibility,” boxing federation president Moses Muhangi wrote on social media.

However, Blick and returning officer Sim Katende reiterated that the voters are the member federations in good standing with the association. 
These also got notice before nomination day to send names of the delegates that will represent their interests at the elective assembly (February 27).

Muhangi also criticised the amendments “which restrict participation due to limitations such as age and education – as one must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognizable institution, and a diploma in sports science – unlike the national election, where a head of state or Member of Parliament is required to have just an A level certificate.”
Such watertight revisions were introduced to sport by Fufa ahead of their elective assembly in 2013. Those in favour argue that sports needs experienced servants while those against see it as machinations to close out competition.

Capacity building
Yet Blick could argue that the biggest legacy of his administration lies in their effort to build the capacity of their members to meet these restrictions.
He leaves as an International Olympic Committee member, an international appointment that increases the country’s lobbying power but had not happened for a Ugandan for over 25 years.
His was an icing on the top of various appointments for his fellow executive members.

His general secretary and imminent successor Dr Rukare has in that eight-year period gone from just serving Uganda Swimming Federation and UOC to various continental and international swimming positions, to becoming an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration of Sports and an international lecturer on sports law and governance issues.
Beatrice Ayikoru, the incoming general secretary, has since been appointed to the World Athletics Council while others like Moses Mwase, Ambrose Tashobya and Sadik Nasiwu are all serving on international committees for swimming, basketball and volleyball.

Unfortunately, there is still more to do in terms of enforcing good practices. The media is still awash with stories of federations struggling to have active sporting calendars, hold general meetings, draw-up strategic plans and have their accounts audited, among others.
Challenges
Blick insists federations will always have issues but he, too, was for long accused of fuelling some in-fighting and supporting some that undermined NCS’s mandate, especially at the time when they were required to re-register.

This actually culminated into court injunction to save the 2017 UOC election after NCS, which did not recognise some of the federations and leaders championed by the Blick administration, had suspended it.
Blick makes no excuses for his fractured relationship with NCS and former Sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi, which always came to the fore whenever the Olympics or Commonwealth were around the corner.

Any delays in funding from the government were always used as a stick to beat NCS and Bakkabulindi but this bad blood also cost Blick his dream of building UOC a home, he admitted.
“We hoped to get our own home, where we could house some of our members, but that fighting with government could not help us consolidate some of the strategic partnerships we built,” Blick said.

Last year’s appointment of Hamson Obua as Sports minister and the subsequent appointment of Rukare to the NCS board has polished the stain.
“I wish this had happened seven years ago. This board has people who have played and love sports unlike the previous ones that had only 20 percent sports people,” Blick told this reporter last year.

Next chapter

Blick will continue as an IOC member, to be a welcome presence in Lugogo as UOC will count on him to do some of their bidding internationally.
He also intends to spend more time helping his motocross-mad daughter and his football-enthusiastic son, now at Proline Academy, after starting out at Edgar’s, achieve their dreams.

“Isabella has surpassed my expectations while William changed to football and wants to become a professional player in Europe,” he said.
“I want to show Ugandans that if you put your mind to something, it can happen.”
Blick’s inspirational rise from the face of a sports ‘coup d’etat’ to the IOC’s top body is certainly the kind of story his ambitious son will hear many times.

William Blick at a glance

Name: William Frederick Blick    Born: October 17, 1974
Position: UOC president 2013-2021
Affiliation: IOC Member
Entry to IOC: 2018
Sports practiced: Rugby, football, athletics, cricket, motocross, motor rallying

Awards and distinctions
Rugby Player of the Year 1992 (Uganda Sports Press Association);
National Clubman Rally Champion (2006)

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