The State Minister for sports, Peter Ogwang has questioned the number of officials who travel to international sports competitions at the expense of athletes.
The minister made these remarks on Saturday while awarding the outstanding athletes that won medals at the just concluded 2022 Birmingham commonwealth games. The four athletes namely Jacob Kiplimo, Victor Kiplangat, Peruth Chemutai, and Teddy Nakimuli were awarded at a brief function held at the NCS complex in Lugogo presided over by the state minister for sports Peter Ogwang.
Kiplimo who won two gold medals in the men’s 10,000 meters and the 5,000 meters was given One Hundred million shillings, at a rate of 50 million per medal while his brother Victor Kiplangat who won the men’s marathon received 50 million shillings for his gold medal.
Peruth Chemutai who won bronze in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase was awarded 20 million shillings while Teddy Nakimuli who won bronze in boxing was also awarded 20 million shillings.
While presiding over the event, Ogwang said that he realized that officials whom he referred to as “visitors” travel in big numbers to sports events and use resources that would have been channeled to facilitate the athletes to put up an impeccable performance.
This comes after several complaints have been raised on the selection of officials that exceed athletes while going for international sports events funded by the government.
For starters during the Olympic games in 2021, Uganda sent a 56-member contingent, 25 of them athletes competing in four disciplines, and the rest of the traveling contingent – 31 to be precise where officials including coaches, general officials, administrators, and government officials.
It is also alleged that during the just concluded 2022 Birmingham commonwealth games, many officials who accompanied athletes failed to access the games village because they were not accredited to be there which Minister Ogwang was wondering.
Ogwang resolved that all the money spent on non-athletes will now be channeled to players’ allowances and preparations to shape them before action as well as motivating them before and after the championships.
The minister said he rather have a small number of athletes when he is sure that they have gone to compete than take a huge delegation that is comprised of people who are not going to take part in the competitions.
In the same development, Minister Ogwang also told URN that he is proposing a master plan to put a substantive amount of cash to be paid to athletes who win medals from the commonwealth, all African games, and Olympic games medals to athletes as a way of motivating them.
The minister was making reference to rewarding events like the world championship where athletes who win medals are given money a specific amount of money for example during the World Championships in Oregon, USA where Joshua Cheptegei pocketed USD 70,000 after winning the men’s 10,000m race.
Ogwang says paying athletes for their medals from the Olympic games, commonwealth games and all Africa games will also give them extra motivation as it is with the world championships and the diamond leagues.
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