Athletic legend John Akii Bua’s son Tony has lamented about the state of sports in the country as the nation goes through a declining period.
“It’s so painful and more painful to see the way current stars and past stars are treated in this country,” Tony lamented. “What a waste because we don’t see sports as a tool to unite us and at the same time heal Uganda.”
Akii Bua was the first Ugandan athlete to win the nation its first gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics in Germany in the men’s 400 metres hurdles. He goes down as the greatest athlete of all time in Ugandan athletics history.
“It’s a pity how our government treats sportsmen and stars in this country they never give support or effort to the struggles and time they take to prepare for major international events,” Tony added. “They only want to jump ship when one has won a gold or any other accolade for the country its a pity.”
Stephen Kiprotich, won the nation’s second gold medal at last year’s summer Olympics in London after a 41 year lapse in the men’s marathon.
“The government on its part has failed to use the opportunity of what the greats have achieved and what impact they have made to influence their country’s a good example is Kenya and Ethiopia,” Tony added. “My father won a medal for this country on top of that he was given a deal with Puma these incidents and moves have not been put to full use by government.”
Government funds sports to the tune of 2.4 billion Uganda shillings which cannot cater for all the major sports in the country.