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Mulindwa: Maiden Vipers Day to mark start of self-reliant Vipers
Vipers President Lawrence Mulindwa(L) unveils Serbian Coach Nikola Kavazovic earlier this year. PHOTOS/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
A dyed-in-the-wool Express fan, Mulindwa says he now has more attachment to Vipers, a club he first got nearer in the early 1990s and later headed.
As the maiden Vipers Day gets underway on Saturday at the St Mary's Stadium-Kitende, club president Lawrence Mulindwa's vision is set to fulfill the biblical promise, 'Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin' (Zechariah 4:10).
See, the fans' fun-filled day, set to be punctuated with musical interludes, luncheon and friendly matches, marks a pivotal moment as the club prepares to chart a path towards self-reliance and lasting growth.
Vipers must have drawn inspiration from their sojourn to Tanzania two years ago to face Yanga in the 'Wiki Ya Mwananchi Day' that they won 2-0 and the charged atmosphere that they played before at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
"We are looking forward to taking Vipers forward, it is a family day out that is almost free. We want to honour our legends and those individuals that did a lot for the club," Mulindwa told NTV flagship sports program- NTV Sports Knights - on Monday.
For a club that joined the StarTimes Uganda Premier League in 2006 having been founded in 1969, legendary names like Robert Kimuli, Tony Odur, Mike Mutyaba and Ceaser Okhuti will be well pronounced this afternoon.
New dawn
"Such activities are great for a club that is growing to show maturity. We have had four 'Fans Days' but this time around, we widened it to include other stakeholders like sponsors, government and other clubs to celebrate the Vipers' day," he emphasized.
Mulindwa hastily added: " We have very big dreams for Vipers. We want to be number one at the continental level. Mind you, most clubs that we joined the league with are no longer here. We came to stay and the stadium is an indicator that we have big plans and a vision."
He prided in being one of the few club owners with a private stadium, citing Tanzanian giants Azam FC and Congolese side TP Mazembe as the others.
Vipers dominion over the top flight division in a decade has just been temporarily halted by current holders SC Villa but Mulindwa is eager to add on the six trophies raked thus far.
"We are not looking at the local league triumph like most clubs win and celebrate for months. We want to be number one in Africa in the next ten years. July 27 (today) will be a day for internal reflection and looking at Vipers in the next ten years," Mulindwa revealed.
Expect more
Apart from the match between the fans and the club legends, the new-look Vipers under Nikola Kavazovic taking on Kenya's Caf Confederation Cup-bound Police FC, it will be thrilling to watch the Venoms parade new faces.
That is not all, Mulindwa let the cat out of the bag on the future of the club without him and the pending renovations at the reported 15000 capacity seater St Mary's Stadium that was opened in 2017.
Former Bunamwaya forward William Kizito Luwagga.
"We have plans of extending the stadium (to accommodate the targeted 30,000 capacity) although this is one of the two accredited by Caf (along with Namboole). Then again, we hope to have a fully fledged academy to go beyond the current feeder team (Kitende) to the level of academies in Qatar, South Africa and West Africa, some of which I have visited," he added.
The former Fufa president (between 2005 and 2013) says the onus is on him to launch a pathway for the club beyond his magnanimity and lifetime.
"As a patriot, I look at Uganda football in general while developing players who must also have an education. Note that almost all clubs (in Uganda) have players formerly attached to Vipers academy.
"We hope to invest more so that minus Mulindwa the club can stand on its own, we are soon starting real estate and manufacturing and started on agriculture ventures already, implying that even if I leave , Vipers can stay self-sufficient," Mulindwa elaborated.
Born to invest in sports
A dyed-in-the-wool Express fan, Mulindwa says he now has more attachment to Vipers, a club he first got nearer in the early 1990s and later headed.
Having played football and boxing at Namilyango and Makerere University as a student, Mulindwa established St Mary's SS Kitende in 2001 that instantly became a sports giant in the country and East Africa.
"It is easy to win a trophy in a given season but hard to make it a habit and achieve bigger trophies.
"It is my duty as a former Fufa boss to bring innovatives like Vipers' day, it is not showing off and other clubs must copy it," Mulindwa stressed.
Vipers Day
Venue: St Mary's Stadium, Kitende
Saturday fixtures
Vipers Legends vs. Vipers fans, 3pm
Vipers vs. Police FC (Kenya) , 7pm
Entrance fee: Shs10000
