Written By |
Secondary School students battle in a basketball game
Search
Sports Desk
There is growing concern over the number of Ugandan schools expected to travel to Algeria for the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Schools Olympic Games.
The inaugural edition of the games, to be held on the African continent for the first time, will bring together school teams from nearly all African countries. Participants will compete in 25 disciplines from July 28 to August 5 in Algiers, Algeria.
Standard High School Zzana girls football team
However, hopes for many Ugandan schools have been dampened after the government announced that each participating school will have to cover its own travel expenses to and from Algeria.
On Monday, the Government of Uganda, through the Physical Education and Sports (PES) department of the Ministry of Education and Sports, in partnership with the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA), the Association of Secondary School Headteachers of Uganda (ASSHU), and the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC), met with the selected schools. During the meeting, it was revealed that schools will shoulder all costs related to travel, which has raised serious concerns among stakeholders.
"We have been told that schools must meet the costs of processing passports for athletes, as well as purchasing air tickets, visas, and other travel documents. This is expensive for most schools, and many have decided to pull out," said one of the games teachers who attended the meeting.
Maryhill (black) vs Fairway
Even though ANOCA has committed to covering accommodation and feeding while in Algeria, the remaining travel-related costs are still seen as a significant burden. This is especially true considering that schools also have to prepare for the USSSA Ball Games II (Zonal and National levels) and the FEASSA Games, all taking place between June and August.
Boni Consilii girls football team players pray before a game
1. Football
2. Gymnastics
3. Basketball
4. Basketball 3x3
5. Athletics
6. Badminton
7. Beach Volleyball
8. Handball
9. Swimming
10. Table Tennis
11. Tennis
12. Volleyball
13. Breaking (Breakdance Sport)
