The Chairman of Africa Cricket Academy, Stephen Mangongo, is convinced that Uganda can host a World Class Cricket Center of Excellence.
The former Zimbabwe coach has been in the country on a two-day working visit that saw them visit the eastern cricket playing schools of Jinja SSS and Busoga College – Mwiri.
The team also held some informal discussions with the National Council of Sports as well as the Kyambogo University sports department. They were also able to visit the Naguru slum area that has produced some of the best cricket talents in Uganda as well as have a motivational session with the Cricket Cranes.
The purpose of the working visit has been to access the viability of hosting a school of excellence in Uganda.
The East African region is developing as a cricket hub. However, there is a gap between weekend cricket and professional cricket.
We don’t want to produce weekend cricketers, we desire to produce cricketers that will represent Uganda on the global stage.
Our mission is to forge a partnership with Uganda Cricket that will see us establish a center of excellence in this region. We have been impressed with what we have seen especially in Jinja where the hunger for the game is amazing.
We promise that next time we return we shall be hitting the ground running and getting to work.
Stephen Mangongo, Chairman – Africa Cricket Academy
The growth of the game within the region is a major catalyst in the project as nations within the region require a facility that will help them develop their players into national team players that will compete at the global stage.