NCS needs Shs196b to fund all sports

Ogwel says that according to the plan, NCS wanted Shs187.8b in 2018/2019 and Shs197b in 2019/2020. The allocation currently stands at Shs26b, Shs8 of which has been cut. PHOTO | GEORGE KATONGOLE

Last year, The National Council of Sports (NCS) said they needed Shs196b to effectively fund all the associations under it. 

Dr. Bernard Patrick Ogwel, the General Secretary, said that the ideal annual budget of the Council was approved in September 2017 in a document titled, “Ministry of Education and Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2017/2018-2019/2020”.

According to the plan, NCS wanted Shs187.8b in 2018/2019 and Shs197b in 2019/2020. The allocation currently stands at Shs26b, Shs8 of which has been cut.  Ogwel says that government funding is therefore not even half of what was approved in the strategic plan. 

Increased budget

He however commends the government for increasing council’s budget from shillings Shs300m in 2000 to Shs3b in 2013 and Shs4.4b in 2015.

Due to limited funding, council mainly finances national teams that qualify for international competitions and therefore has inadequate funds for development projects such as investing in sports academies and construction of at least one sports facility in a region.

Out of the current budget that stands at Shs17.4b, Fufa has been allocated Shs10b annually.

In the Fufa budget for 2018/2019, Shs3.8b was earmarked to finance the Uganda Cranes participation in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). 

Back then, Ogwel argued that the sum was inadequate in comparison to hosts Egypt that invested US$10m in its national team for the competition.

Other activities in the Fufa budget included paying the head coach US$20, 000 (about Shs74m) monthly, the national assistant coaches, and salaries for 50 players.  When you subtract that sum, the others are encompassed in the remaining Shs7.4b. Council spends Shs2.7b on its costs and is left with Shs4.7b for 50 federations to share. Therefore, some of the associations receive billions while others get zero. 

Annual dispatches

For instance, council allocates Shs3.7b annually to mainly athletics (Shs1.5b), boxing (Shs500m, university sports (Shs500m) and Shs150m to Paralympians. Netball and basketball are meant to get Shs1b each annually. 

Ogwel is never tireless in urging federation executives to mobilise resources from other sources other than depending on only government.

Ogwel’s acknowledgement of the funding inequality comes after some of the sports associations objected to the Shs10b allocation to Fufa.  Moses Muhangi, the boxing federation head, has been vocal about this injustice for years. 

Muhangi says that NCS needs to finance associations based on performance and is concerned that there is heavy investment in football and yet it is mainly boxing and athletics that have won medals in the last 50 years.

Muhangi also argues that NCS should allocate the funds, little as they may be appropriately. However, Muhangi is optimistic that the constant engagement and advocacy will yield results on equitable funding.