President Yoweri Museveni will preside over Uganda’s first international soccer festival. Museveni will on December 5 launch the Kampala Football festival that has attracted entries from Denmark, Sweden, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.
President Yoweri Museveni
“The idea is to eventually have a festival at the level of the famous Gothia Cup in Sweden,” explained former Cranes player Mike Mutyaba, one of the brains behind the event.
The Gothia Cup is the world’s largest international youth football tournament. Each year, around 1600 teams from 80 nations take part and they play 4500 games on 110 fields.
“Uganda annually sends teams to this competition spending a minimum of sh7.5m per player. Why not spend much less by staging the competition ourselves?” wondered Mutyaba.
The categories Competition categories start from six years through to 16 years and above with Wankulukuku, Uganda Martyrs Rubaga, Lubiri, Mengo, Old Kampala, Aga Khan, St Mary’s Kitende and St Juliana schools as some of the venues.
Mutyaba says the festival will be a forum for youth to showcase their talents before various football stakeholders that will include agents and scouts from Europe.
The top 70 talented players will be chosen for participation in the Warrior Keele Cup in Manchester, Gothia together with Dana (Denmark) and Norway Cups.
Seasoned youth coach Eddie Butindo, who has led several award winning teams to Europe, is the organizing secretary of the four-day event. Participants will be charged a sh20, 000 entry fee.
It is open to schools and the working class. Mutyaba, a striker with Uganda Premier League side Vipers, also runs Kent Sports Academy.
December 18 to 21 Kampala Youth Festival
By James Bakama, The New Vision