UOC celebrate World Fair Play Day
Swearing allegiance. Participants share a group photo after celebrating World Fair Play Day. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
Since March at the launch at Kabojja International School, they have spread the gospel in 15 schools across the country involving both teachers and students. On Saturday, in Lugogo, the Commission and its ‘students’ gathered to commemorate the World Fair Play Day.
School sports is a crucial level of the sector but is awash with all sorts of dirty linen. From age cheating to doping to use of non-bonafide athletes and at times manipulation of results.
“At the ball games, we saw someone injecting a girl just two matches before she went to play,” Iganga SS teacher Ednance Kuwogeya, shared a real example.
“It is likely they were giving this girl something to enhance her performance. But sport is not all about winning because that thoughtline pushes us to do bad things. We have to promote fair play in such a way that we do the right thing, at the right time with the right people,” she added.
It is why the Uganda Olympic Committee through its Education Commission thought it wise to spread the message of fair play in schools.
Since March at the launch at Kabojja International School, they have spread the gospel in 15 schools across the country involving both teachers and students. On Saturday, in Lugogo, the Commission and its ‘students’ gathered to commemorate the World Fair Play Day.
“Fair play goes beyond sports, because here it can be implemented through school rules and regulations, but it is an aspect that should be implemented in your daily lives,” said UOC general secretary Beatrice Ayikoru, who graced the function as chief celebrant, alongside commission head and badminton president Annet Nakamya, the President Yoweri Museveni’s assistant private secretary and former badminton player Norah Nassimbwa, and gymnastics president Harriet Ayaa.
The students have signed Fair Play passports and pledge cards to express their allegiance to the cause.
The history
Meanwhile, at its 78th session on July 1, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 19 as the new World Fair Play Day starting next year.
World Fair Play Day is the brainchild of Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles, which since 2013 has been organising a week of Fair-Play activities in September, including the Relay du Fair-Play. In 2020, Panathlon International (P.I.), the International Committee for Fair Play (CIFP) and the European Fair Play Movement (EFPM) joined forces to create the World Fair Play Day.
The date of September 7 was not chosen at random by PWB. It was on this day in 1963 that the founding members of what was to become the International Committee for Fair Play (CIFP) met at the initiative of French tennis champion Jean Borotra.
