Wafula challenges Dhamuzungu for hockey presidency

Contenders. Wafula (L) and Dhamuzungu will be vying for the top position. PHOTOS | MAKHTUM MUZIRANSA

What you need to know:

  •  The national team had progressed to the qualifiers after being declared winners of the President’s Cup by Africa Hockey Federation as their opponents had not turned for the tournament in Kampala.

Uganda Hockey Association (UHA) general secretary Phillip Wafula, has broken ranks to take on incumbent Lydia Sanyu Dhamuzungu for presidency.
“Lydia has done well  but we now need a strategic focus in everything that we do,” Wafula said.

 Despite the botched trip to the Africa Olympic qualifiers in 2019 in South Africa, Dhamuzungu – who has led the association since 2017 – will take credit for reviving national teams after they were disbanded in 2011.

 The national team had progressed to the qualifiers after being declared winners of the President’s Cup by Africa Hockey Federation as their opponents had not turned for the tournament in Kampala.

 The same luck hit Uganda last month when they automatically qualified for the Africa Cup (due January 2022 in Ghana) after some opponents failed to confirm participation om the qualifiers.

However, both contestants worked hard alongside assistant general secretary Stanley Tamale to have the team play in the bi-nation Federation of International Hockey (FIH) Test Series in Nairobi.  

With Wafula as Chef de Mission, Ugandan men beat Kenya twice in three games while the women lost thrice.  This is likely to be a divisive election as both leaders are backed by different members of the executive.

They also seem to be backing a host of different candidates competing for other executive positions.  Wafula, for example has his assistant Tamale (pushing for general secretary now) and assistant treasurer Kenneth Tamale (now pushing for treasurer) firmly in his camp.

 And although he is a founding member of Weatherhead Hockey Club, he has played the ‘across borders’ card by getting nominated by Deliverance Church. Dhamuzungu will back her Weatherhead club members Fatumah Namubiru, Gerald Ssesaazi and Moses Tushabe.

UGANDA HOCKEY POLLS

VICE PRESIDENT:
Joshua Opolot (Wananchi)
Fatumah Namubiru (Weatherhead)
Michael Nashimolo (Rockets)
GENERAL SECRETARY:
Joseph Kamin (Rockets)
Stanley Tamale (Kampala)
TREASURER:
Kenneth Tamale (Rockets)
Gerald A. Ssesaazi (Weatherhead)
ORGANIZING SECRETARY:
Richard Ssemwogerere (Kampala)
Daniel Kyaligonza (Rockets)
PUBLICITY SECRETARY:
Saddam Hussein (Kampala)
Moses Tushabe (Weatherhead)