By Frank Kamuntu
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was on Sunday August 18, 2024 the Chief Guest as the 21st edition of the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) games officially kicked off at Bukedea Comprehensive School in Bukedea District in Eastern Uganda.
Bukedea Comprehensive School is owned by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among.
Other FEASSA games will be played at AMUS College School and Teso College.
The games to be played by both boys and girls include; football, Swimming, Table Tennis, Soccer, Badminton, basketball, Handball, Netball, Rugby 15’s and Hockey.
Before opening the games, President Museveni first commissioned Bukedea Comprehensive School’s sports park which comprises a football stadium, an indoor sports arena, and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
The President commended Rt. Hon. Anita Among for developing a sports infrastructure in the region.
“I want to thank the Rt. Hon. Anita Among and her colleagues here who developed this stadium at a reasonable cost and quickly. I think this should serve as an example to others so that we can develop these stadiums in other parts of the country,” President Museveni said.
President Museveni, who delivered most of his speech in Swahili, informed participants that the East African integration is not about just sports but also strategic security and prosperity of all East Africans which is as a result of producing a good or a service and selling it.
“You cannot live a good life without producing a good or a service. This has been our long experience here in Uganda which we shared with colleagues in the East African community like Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and others,” H.E Museveni said, adding that The East African integration is so crucial in addressing the issue of markets for produced goods within the region.
“If the people of East Africa wake up and start producing, they’ll start realising that the internal markets are not enough to absorb all the products. Here in Uganda, we have already experienced that. We have a lot of maize, milk, etc. and we have seen that the internal market is not enough. Our Ugandan people are buying a lot of products from Tanzania especially rice and also a lot of goods from Rwanda. The bigger the market, the better for the prosperity of our people,” President Museveni stated.
He gave an example of Latin America which has got a lot of resources, but its market is fragmented not like that of the United States of America.
On her part, Rt. Hon. Anita Among welcomed participants from East Africa to Uganda and Bukedea and thanked President Museveni for commissioning the Sports Arena. She also commended him for his vision to develop sports in Uganda.
A total of 3,526 participants and young athletes from five (5) countries are taking part in the games. They include Uganda (1590 participants), Kenya (1300 participants), Rwanda (162 participants), Tanzania (443 participants) and Burundi (31 participants). South Sudan has not participated in this year’s edition.
These will be showcasing their potential talents while leveraging the integration process according to the Minister of State for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang.
“Your excellency, allow me to thank you for championing the EAC Federation. The integration process cannot be complete without the involvement of these young people. And I would like to thank your vision and your colleagues in the region for allowing us as young people to participate in sports and this is the only way we can market East African integration to the grassroots,” Minister Ogwang said.
He cautioned participants against acts that will undermine the integrity of the tournament and to always be reminded that winning and losing is part of sports.
“I wish to caution them (participants) against engaging in acts that will undermine the integrity of sports and competition that will hamper the flow of the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship. Let us celebrate the spirit of East Africa and the bright future of our young athletes,” Hon. Ogwang said.
He reminded the President and participants that Uganda is on the right track in as far as developing the sports infrastructure to facilitate the Africa Cup of Nations of 2027 under East Africa Pamoja.
The Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) President Justus Mugisha saluted H.E Museveni for being the first President to grace the FEASSA event which Uganda is hosting for a record 7th time.
He appreciated Bukedea comprehensive school and AMUS College School led by Rt Hon. Among and Hon. Patrick Isiagi respectively for setting up world class facilities in record time.
“Mr. President, we wish to emulate this set up of infrastructure within schools in the 19 zones of Uganda and the whole of East Africa. You’re a great leader, we know you’ll make this possible. When we visited you at State House, you promised us and we know you’ll deliver,” Mr. Mugisha said, adding that the main aim of FEASSA games is to integrate the children of East Africa through sports while building on President Museveni’s lifelong dedication to the cause of East Africa which has not gone unnoticed.
“We in schools and FEASSA, we are your strongest supporters and have done this for the last 21 years. Your leadership in promoting sports is a variable inspiration to our member states and we appreciate your guidance. Your exemplary commitment in sports development serves as a shining example for our region,” he noted.
Uganda is looking forward to defending its title at the competition that will run up to 27th August 2024.
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