Sports 22 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Sport for All Course Urges Leaders to Look Beyond Medals and Podium Finishes
A recent TAFISA leadership course in Ntinda challenged Ugandan sports leaders and NGOs to make physical activity accessible to all citizens, emphasizing community engagement over elite competition. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/sports/other-sport/sport-for-all-course-pushes-leaders-to-reach-beyond-medals-5641416
Sports leaders and community organizers in Uganda have been urged to shift their focus beyond medals and podium finishes, aiming instead to make sports accessible to every citizen regardless of age, ability, or economic background.
The call was made during the four-day TAFISA Certified Leadership Course (CLC) Level I held at the Nob View Hotel in Ntinda. Hosted by the Uganda Olympic Committee through its Social Development through Sport Commission, the training was conducted in partnership with The Association For International Sport for All under the SÜCCEED Programme and the Olympism365 agenda.
Katongo Bwalya, a physical education lecturer at the University of Zambia and a TAFISA expert, co-facilitated the training alongside Zama Didritch Tsabedze from Eswatini. Bwalya noted that excessive emphasis on elite sports across many African countries has left vulnerable groups behind, including older adults, persons with disabilities, refugees, and economically marginalized populations.
“There is a lot of emphasis on elite sports or competitive sports looking for medals, podium performance,” Bwalya said, stressing that inclusivity requires intentionality and must account for infrastructure as well as social and economic barriers.
Participants included federation executives and NGO leaders, such as Rita Aliguma of the Aliguma Foundation, who attended with four team members to better serve rural communities and urban slums.
Local leaders pointed out that the training aligns closely with regulatory requirements. Patricia Ayebare, a commissioner at the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations, noted that the National Sports Act of 2023 requires sports bodies to demonstrate widespread participation across multiple districts. She emphasized that federations cannot meet these legal thresholds without active grassroots and community sports initiatives.
As part of the curriculum, participants worked in groups to design community-focused projects, with seed funding promised by TAFISA to help launch the winning initiatives.
Read the original story on the Daily Monitor.