Christmas Day remains one of the most awaited days on the calendar world over.
Across the divide, the day presents special moments of the year to celebrate with family members, work mates, lovers, friends and foes alike.
Father Christmas, ‘Santa Claus’, also known as Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle moves about every nation and home to deliver the day’s gifts and special messages.
All Uganda sports federations offer heartfelt appreciation to the man himself, Santa, who has the best wishes and gifts for all sporting disciplines and sportsmen alike.
To the entire sporting fraternity especially in Uganda, the different sports icons and federations would wish to whisper a word or two to Santa Claus.
From the Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC), the National Council of Sports, sports commissions to the respective sports federations, Santa Claus has the best wishes and aspirations.
Football Family:
Being the number one sport on the entire globe, many football players, fans and administrators would wish to thank Santa for the Christmas gifts and pray to the Almighty they live longer to get many of those gifts year in, year out.
The Uganda football family would whisper to Santa to seek reconciliation among the various factions between FUFA, the main ruling body and the so termed night dancers and bed-bugs.
And in a true sportsmanship spirit, Santa will wish the best for Ugandan football bearing in mind of the failed CHAN Championships and the recently concluded AFCON 2015 qualifiers.
Santa wishes the best for the various local leagues from division two, first division, the FUFA big league, national beach soccer league and the elite Uganda Premier League, whose clubs are yet to receive the Super Sport sponsorship money.
Santa carries with him 30 brand new pairs of playing boots for each member on the Vipers Sports Club team for being crowned the Uganda Premier League Christmas Champions.
Santa wishes the Uganda Sand Cranes success in the forthcoming AFCON Beach soccer championships that will be held in Seychelles in 2015.
Basketball:
With the recently concluded memories of the final closing stages of the FUBA national league play-off still fresh in many people’s minds; Santa will definitely deliver tokens of City Oilers for the second title running and KCCA ladies for winning the league honors.
Santa cannot fail to thank FUBA and the Uganda National sides for qualifying to Afro Basketball championships.
Rugby:
Santa knows it that the league broke off just to grant the players a breather in these festive days.
Therefore, Santa’s official comment to the ruggers is simply “Enjoy responsibly, take less beers and food, the league resumes early January 2015.
Netball:
Netball remains one of the oldest sports world wide but its snail pace development still worries the players, the sport die-hards and administrators.
As Uganda made a giant leap in the year 2014 with qualification to the Netball world cup.
Uganda is now ranked 13th on the world ratings, Santa says “Congs ladies and girls work hard and break into the top 10 in the year 2015”.
Pool:
The game is normally played and enjoyed in entertainment hubs.
Santa follows every cue shot on the pool tables by the countries over 2000 pool players.
From the 2014 national champion, Fahad Ssewankambo to the top seeds Alfred Gumikiriza, Sula Matovu, Fred Namanya, Jonah Turigye and Herman Mutawe.
Lady pool players like Sugar Carol Kanzira, Vivian Kagoye, Ritah Nimusiima, Santa says keep up the legacy.
Santa however reserves a special message to the 3 time Christmas pool open winner, Amos Ndyagumanawe.
For 3 years running, Amos Ndyagumanawe, you have made the Christmas cup your very own, I give you a special gift of a Santa colored pool table, sweets and chocolates
Santa says.
Golf:
On the golf courses across the country, balls fly over the skyline.
The eagle’s eye and birdies are eye catching as many rookies hope to target just that. Santa wishes the golf family a bright Christmas time.
He will however reserve praise for Willy Deus Kitata, the winner of the country’s major golf championship – 72 that was held at the Uganda Golf Club, Kampala.
Santa will issue the Uganda Professionals Golf Captain, Deo Akope a copy of the world’s elite golf magazine for winning the Uganda Open (pros event).
He will also wish Akope and the rest of professionals a great year ahead especially as far as breaking the ice berg of making the cut in major golf events in the country and those organized out of Uganda.
Santa has a golf kit for lady golfer, Sergent Flavia Namakula for winning the Uganda ladies open as well as scooping two silver medals at the World Military Golf Championship.
Rowing:
Like all the other sports in Uganda, Santa is happy, the long administrative wrangles that marred the sport in disarray will soon be history.
Santa still anticipates the best to come for rowing in 2015.
Volleyball:
Santa wishes the Ugandan Volleyball fraternity the best Christmas Holidays ever.
Santa congratulates the league champions, KAVC (Men) and the lady winners, Vision Volleyball Camp (VVC) upon their maiden league championship title.
With a hot transfer of period forth coming in January, Santa takes this opportunity to advise the clubs not to cling to players who are ‘fad-up’ of the clubs they play for.
Cricket:
The Cricket family, like the rest of the group will be eager to receive Santa Claus.
True, Santa does not like mediocre performances, but cricket being the gentleman’s sport, Santa will accord them special Care and time.
Uganda national cricket team that qualified for ICC world division 3 league having failed the previous year after they finished 13th in the disastrous outing at the ICC Global Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier in United Arab Emirates (2013).
For the rest of the games, chess, Badminton, Swimming, Darts, motor rally, Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Hockey, Athletics, Woodball, Polo, kick boxing, handball Santa says keep up the spirit as the struggle continues.
Santa offers kick boxer Moses Golola a special personal gift – a fresh kit of gloves so that he perfects the act of boxing while kicking than to ‘cheat’ his opponents.
Sports Reporters In Uganda:
To the respective sports journalists (Both under USPA and those working independently), Santa has categorized their gifts.
One group will share the wines and spirits pack (all those who work well after tasting that bitter stimulant).
An online journal for reporters to learn more about their codes and ethics and several hard copy books that have the journalistic codes and Ways of Living.
Others will get specialized bibs to don during work to differentiate them from those worn by musicians as Pastor Bugembe and Bebe Cool especially during national team games at Namboole Stadium.
Orange colour for those ‘sports-political journalists’ and white colour specially reserved for purely sporting reporters.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY 2015.