The Entebbe Katabi Gombolola playground rests on a 50 hectare Kitubulu Forest Reserve piece of land.
The all sandy ground is not only situated besides the famous Lake Victoria water body, but also found a stone throw away from the busy Entebbe – Kampala Highway right opposite the headquarters of Katabi Gombolola Town Council.
The ground has existed for more than 20 years and ‘baby sat’ outspoken players in the country both in active and retired dockets.
Katabi Gombolola ground is just one of the hundreds of examples for Uganda’s sub-standard sports facilities.
Dry patched playgrounds decimated by portions of ‘small grass’ define many a typical Ugandan sports field.
From West Nile across over to Busia, Nakapiripirit downwards Kisoro via Kabale, many sports facilities are in a messy state in Uganda.
The rampant land bonanza, rapid population growth and high rate of commercialization has witnessed blood shed when less sports caring people embedded under the disguise of ‘investors’ always fight for every existing open space to erect sky scrappers and posh living houses.
The blame game could partially be shifted to the environmental activists who at most times have done little to save the green hectares of open spaces.
Well documented tales of how golf course land is being apportioned for commercial use are endless in this country, once described ‘Pearl of Africa’ by former British Governor of the Equatorial Province, Sir Winston Churchill in the 1890’s.
Government and filthy rich personalities have also done little to join hands in the struggle of construction and preservation of sports amenities.
Maintenance of the existing sports facilities has also been a missing link as many fields have been thrown to the dogs.
In Nelson Mandela National stadium (Namboole), Uganda has one huge amenity with most sporting disciplines (volleyball, track and field, basketball, handball, netball, tennis as well as many indoor sports) catered for.
Since Namboole was officially handed over to the Uganda Government in 1998, careless maintenance has witnessed decay of the once treasured stadium.
In fact, most facilities have been under-utilized at Namboole since inception because of high charges levied on individual sportsmen, organized sporting groups and federations alike.
As we talk, management of Namboole need at least Shs 90 billion for a complete face-lift to renovate the general stands, dressing rooms, floodlights, running tantan, playing surface, offices, lavatories, the hostels and many other facilities that belong to several sports disciplines accomodated there.
Manager of Namboole stadium Jamil Ssewanyana urges Government to consider more investment of financial resources in the establishment and maintainance of sports amenities round the country.
“Uganda at the moment calls for more sports facilities that are well maintained as an endeavour to groom more talents. This calls for continous investment by the Government into the establishment of sports facilities around the country as well as their maintainence at all times” Ssewanyana calls.
In Kampala alone, only Mutesa II Wankulukuku stadium and the Phillip Omondi Lugogo astro turf stand out.
Wakiso District has the St Mary’s Stadium – Kitende, Champions Stadium – Mwererwe and Kavumba Recreational Stadium.
The rest are school fields owned by secondary and university institutions such as Makerere, Kibuli, Kawempe Muslim, Buddo, and the like.
There is an urgent call for more government involvement in setting up other facilities across the country in the name of regional stadia.
Questions are being asked about what really went wrong at the once treasured Pece Stadium in Gulu, Kakyeeka in Mbarara, Lira, Boma grounds in Hoima and Masindi, Luwero, Masaka, Mbale Municipal stadium, Tororo Stadium, Kabale, Kamuli, Bugembe in Jinja and many other facilities circulated around town.
With belief that Nakivubo Stadium in the heart of Kampala City will be upgraded to a modern stadium going by plans unveiled by young billionaire Hamis ‘Ham’ Kiggundu, there is hope that Uganda will acquire its second all-seater stadium after Namboole by the close of 2023.
Recently, there was excitement when Lawrence Mulindwa injected personal resources to upgrade St Mary’s training ground to now a modern 20,000 seater stadium with well-furnished locker rooms, parking yard, fans stands, media center and a training ground.
Individuals like Mulindwa are a rare breed in this country, personalities who sacrifice finances that would be used elsewhere for sports infrastructural development.
The same script can be penned down in the lavish Serena Lake Victoria Golf Spa facility found in Kigo, off Entebbe road near Lweza.
The country needs many of those facilities owned by Government and individuals alike.
More up to standard racing tracks and circuit parks should be put in put with plans to up grade the existing ones at Busiika, Nsiimbe Estate and Garuga for the development of motocross and rallying.
The Lugogo Indoor Arena aside, Uganda also needs more state of art indoor facilities in Kampala and the countryside.
Games as Chess, Darts, Badminton, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Hockey, Squash, Boxing, Basketball, Handball, Pool, Ludo and the alike require respectable homes.
State minister of sports Hon Denis Hamson Obua acknowledges the element of sports facilities remains an achilles heel for the country.
Obua therefore calls for Government support as well as continued involvement of the corporate family.
“Our country deserves better sports facilities. The existing ones are not enough and not in the best shape. Government has to come in and there are deliberate plans to undertake such situations with more funding. Besides the Government, we ought to encourage able individual and corporate entities to invest in sports amenities development” Obua revealed.
By and large, the current state of sports infrastructure in Uganda has been wanting for years.
This is the reason, it remains a big concern for the populous and a big stumbling block for affluent sports development in the country.