Overview:
The Commonwealth Games Association Uganda (CGAU) made its inaugural Commonwealth Sport Schools’ Spirit Clubs initiative that was meant to have students in Uganda to live the Commonwealth Games Federation values and integrate them into their sports and daily lives, as a means of ultimately communicating the value of sports and physical activity.
The future of sport world over heavily relies upon the youth. Time immemorial, the youth have always been the bed rock for the development of any sport in question for raw talent pool poaching, nurturing and ensuring continuity progress of the disciplines in the box.
It is upon this rich background that the Commonwealth Games Association Uganda (CGAU) sought it worthwhile to associate with the youth in Uganda’s secondary schools, 32 of them across the country (through the four regions; Northern, Eastern, Central and Western) through the Game Changer’s project.
For starters, the Game Changer is a legacy program of the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
On Saturday, 22nd October 2022, four schools were rewarded for their exceptional implementation of the Game Changer’s project.
Nyakasura School (Western region), Mbogo High School (Central region), Teso College Aloet (Eastern region) and Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School (Northern region) were the schools given a well branded certificate of recognition and beautiful plaque.
The CGAU made its inaugural Commonwealth Sport Schools’ Spirit Clubs initiative that was meant to have students in Uganda to live the Commonwealth Games Federation values and integrate them into their sports and daily lives, as a means of ultimately communicating the value of sports and physical activity.
Through this project, the Commonwealth Games Association of Uganda was proud to reach out to multitudes of other young school going people secondary school level.
For starters, the Commonwealth Games Federation’s values are Humanity, Equality and Destiny.
Lydia Gloria Dhamuzungu, the assistant general secretary of the Commonwealth Association Uganda and team leader of the Game Changer’s project lauded the schools and students in particular who were engaged.
The game changer project helped in capacity building. We wish to appreciate the teachers and the schools that took part after a humble start. We started out with 32 schools and most actively, 22 implemented and started clubs. There are many game changers as nature conservation through nature walk, new sports being introduced. Invitations to the different sports federations to introduce their games. Through the value of Destiny, it is interesting to see sportsmen take on the games as a career. Schools are the bed rock of sports in Uganda. They are academies of sports. Good utilization of what is available. It is not business as usual but rather business unusual. I appreciate the schools, students who are the change agents.
Lydia Gloria Dhamuzungu, the assistant general secretary of the Commonwealth Association Uganda and team leader of the Game Changer’s project
Yayiro Kasasa, a coordinator of the Games Changes’ project and a member on the Uganda Olympic Committee Talent Identification Commission explained that this project helped unearth raw talent in sports.
A lot was done in the schools as formation of the Commonwealth clubs. We thank the students, teachers and the schools for embracing this project. We discovered so many talents from the students who engaged in the Game Changers’ project. We did achieve a lot after evaluating the scores.
Yayiro Kasasa, a coordinator of the Games Changes’ project and a member on the Uganda Olympic Committee Talent Identification Commission
Nyakasura School formed a successful sport spirit club and invited more than 10 nearby educational institutions that engaged in a sport administration course, created awareness of the values through nature walks within the community and organized a values-based training workshop meeting.
Nyakasura School was started in 1926 by a Scottish man. We are a sports power house in Western Uganda. Humanity was key and destiny. We conducted a nature walk within the community to promote domestic tourism and community engagement. We managed to raise money from the nature walk which was used to procure badminton equipment and a speaker used in Dance Sport. The community is encouraged to use the sports facilities at the school as the football field, volleyball courts and the like. We also introduced a number of new games as Lawn Tennis, Dance Sport, Badminton and others.
Daniel Musinguzi, Patron Nyakasura Sport Spirit Club
Mbogo High School fully constituted its club, organized a physical fitness activity called drills where they invited nearby schools to be part of the event, composed a Commonwealth Game Changers’ poem.
The school also organized “spelling bee” contest for nearby primary schools in the community under the core values.
They also organized the poetry competitions and participated in the Olympic Day where different stakeholders were also invited.
The club has made sports within Mbogo High school really vibrant. We had community service and involved members of the community. Handball field and Badminton Arena are used both by the school community and local residents within Kawempe. We have thought of new games as Swimming and Basketball at the school.
Faith Karungi, chairperson Commonwealth Games club of Mbogo High School
Karungi, joined by other students (Belinda Nabwire and Sheila Natukunda) officially received Mbogo High school’s certificate and plaque.
Teso College Aloet formed a sport spirit club, introduced new sport called Dance Sport. The members of the club encouraged learners to actively participate in sports like Basketball, Volleyball, Rugby and Badminton.
It is a big honour that Teso College Aloet has been recognized and rewarded among the schools that took part in the Game Changer’s project. We are a big school of sports and academics. We have a big vast land to accommodate all the games. We encourage the local communities to get involved as well.
Ochilong – Patron Teso College Aloet
Sir Samuel Baker formed a sport spirit club, introduced new sports codes in the school, disseminated the Commonwealth Games Values at the national ball games II tournament I Lira city.
I thank the organizers of this Game Changers’ project. We have now developed a club and opened up to learners a number of games (8). We talked to the learners about different experience and participated in a number of games up to national level.
Simon Peter Torach, head teacher – Sir Samuel Baker School
Mbogo High School student later entertained with the popular Shuffle dance, a special dance that emanated from walking.
This dance originated from Melbourne, Australia, in the underground rave scene back in the later 1980’s and early 1990s.
