The Office of the NRM National Chairman Manager, SPA Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo has pledged to support the Uganda Amputee football national team (Amputee Cranes) that is set to represent Uganda at the 2024 African Amputee Football Cup of Nations .
The Amputee AFCON, organized by the Confederation of African Amputee Football (CAAF) is the 1st edition of the international competition of amputee football national men’s teams in Africa.
The 2024 tournament that was initially scheduled to kick-off from 19 to 28 April 2024 was rescheduled to this Saturday 18th to 30 May 2024 in Cairo, Egypt’s Capital.
SPA Namyalo who was represented by the ONC Communications Officer Mr Kintu Moses at Mulago Catholic Parish in Kampala hailed the spirit and determination of the Amputee Cranes players, and wondered how such a sport is not given precedence in the country.
“It is surprising there are a lot of things people don’t give attention to, now imagine you’re representing Uganda in the AFCON for the Amputated this weekend, despite lack of facilities for the sport, the team has stayed resilient and utilized the available resources to qualify Uganda for the tournament. Mr Kintu said.
Kintu further promised the team that join return from the tourney, the ONC Boss, will have an engagement with them to congratulate them for taking part and representing Uganda at the Continental level.
“As we’ve done with the netball, volleyball and other teams, on your return she will make sure you have engagement with her, together with Chairman Shafik Mwanje,” Kintu noted, before urging the team to put in their best so that they return home with silverware.
Mr Kitimbo Lawrence, the founding President of Federation Of Uganda Amputee Football Associations (FUAFA) decried the limited funding and budget to this new sport and asked the SPA to deliver their cries to President Museveni for a solution.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Amputee Cranes captain Alex Mugerwa vowed to lead his teammates to victory and see that the Ugandan cranes flag flies high in Cairo and return home with silverware.
Uganda is Group B, with Morocco, Senegal and Liberia. They’ll face Liberia in the opening fixture, then play Morocco and end the group fixture with a tie against Senegal.
