The Badminton World Federation (BWF) donated an assortment of equipment worth $4500 (about sh17m) to Ugandan schools.
The equipment includes 560 Rackets, 58 nets, bags, shuttle cocks and badminton training literature books.
Some of the beneficiaries are; Bright Junior School, Namilyango College School, Kabojja Junior School, Kinaawa High School, Lohana Academy, Kisubi Mapeera SS, Kampala Parents School among others.
This support is a timely move to help develop the sport from the grassroots.
Uganda Badminton Federation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Simon Mugabi handed over the equipment to schools during a function held at the National Council of Sports.
This was during an event also attended by the assistant general secretary of the National Council of Sports (NCS) David Semakula Katende.
Katende encouraged the recipients to make good use of the donated equipment;
We need openness. Sport is played in the open and we expect this equipment to be used openly.
Now schools have no excuse to shun tournaments to which they have been invited
The donation had been sent a few months ago but the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) held the equipment at Entebbe International Airport for failure to pay the tax accuring to Shs. 9.5M.
National Council of Sports therefore swiftly intervened and cleared the tax before the equipment was released.
Mugabi has since saluted NCS for the kind gesture;
We thank National Council of Sports for clearing the tax after the donated equipment was held at Entebbe Airport
Schools representatives appreciate the donation:
A number of schoool representatives who recieved the donation hailed the contribution of the world’s badminton and national bodies as well as the government through the National Council of Sports;
Hanah International School’s games teacher Ismael Lubega noted;
We love the game but our main challenge has been the equipment, these are expensive items, because you may find that a racket goes up to Shs. 100000 which seems costly to the Parents.
We thank the Uganda Badminton Association and NCS for the contribution
Marion Nakimuli, the in-charge teacher of badminton at Namilyango College added to the appreciative tone;
This is very important and timely.
We shall use it to train and recruit more students into badminton, starting with the current S1 intake
The availability of sporting gear is a bold step forward for many sporting disciplines’ development.
