Sports budget more than doubled, NCS happy

National Council of Sports (NCS) general secretary Dr. Bernard Patrick Ogwel, believes the increase of the sports budget from Shs17bn to Shs47bn is a vote of confidence in the performances of all stakeholders in the sub-sector. 

The success of Ugandan sportsmen and women from last year’s Olympics to last weekend’s Crested Cranes triumph at the Cecafa Women Championship is well documented.

“We all know that it (increase) has been a journey for sport to get the attention it deserves,” Ogwel told this publication.
 “We all know that it (increase) has been a journey for sport to get the attention it deserves,” Ogwel told this publication.

“It is an excitement moment that we want to celebrate with all athletes, federations and also thank government and Parliament for delivering. 
Money for activities
This money will help with identifying and exposing talent, it is to support the activities of federations; participation in competitions and qualifiers, capacity building and supporting gender balance agendas.”

Ogwel said the main struggles about funding for sports have come ahead of international and continental games like the Olympics, next month’s Commonwealth Games and next year’s Africa Games.
“We have raised eyebrows by lining up in the corridors of Parliament to ask for supplementary budgets. 
Now we need to streamline and prioritize activities with our federations because there is now a clear pathway for support.”

Details of how the funds will be distributed are still scanty but Ogwel says there will now be a “budget adjustment process to balance the funding but definitely, everyone will get more money.”
For example, Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Anita Among had recently said that money for women’s football would be ring-fenced - something that has been happening with the Shs10b for their male counterparts Cranes - after they won Cecafa. 
There were also promises to increase funding for rugby to Shs1bn after the men won the Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens Cup recently.

More still needed
Athletics, football, rugby, para-sport, netball, boxing, basketball and university sports are some considered NCS’s priority disciplines but there are suggestions to include cricket and motorsports.
“Sport is becoming a huge brand in the country. You have seen things like television productions for our leagues, all these add value and get sports to be discussed at a high level.  This exposure will create an opportunity for the corporate society to jump on board too
“We need the funds to grow to over Shs200bn because the next phase after participation is infrastructural development.

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