The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Federation of Uganda’s Football Association (FUFA) has partnered with Harris International’s leading energy drink brand, Rock Boom, to enhance the annual FUFA Drum Competition. The FUFA inter-provinces competition is scheduled to return to action in May 2023, five months after the previous edition ended in January.
The one-year partnership between FUFA and Rock Boom will see the energy drink brand inject at least UGX 120 million into the tournament, which draws sixteen provinces from across Uganda. During a media briefing held at Harris International’s headquarters in Kawempe, Rogers Byamukama, the competition’s organizer, stated that the funds would be used to improve players’ allowances, facilitate transport for the players, and cover medical expenses for the teams.
Moses Magogo, the President of FUFA, stated that the primary goal of the “FUFA Drum” is to utilize football to celebrate people’s ancestry by bringing together football stars to play for their respective regions. “It is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate our ancestry, and football is the language you can use to bring people together. We see what the FUFA drum has done for the people of Acholi and other provinces,” he said.
Our vision is to become the no. 1 footballing nation in Africa on & off the pitch & we can only achieve this by promoting, developing, & protecting the game. The @FUFADrum is one of the avenues we use to promote football & so #RockBoom partnership is a big plus to our efforts👌 pic.twitter.com/H2gnLZaUM3
— Moses Hassim Magogo (@MosesMagogo) April 4, 2023
In the previous edition, West Nile Province, which emerged victorious, received a cash prize of UGX 32 million in addition to the trophy. However, Magogo stated that with the assistance of this partnership and other anticipated partnerships, there is also the possibility of increasing the cash prize for the upcoming edition.
Mahmoud Sebline, Harris’ Sales and Marketing Operations Manager, stated that they are pleased to be part of the talent development strategy throughout the country. “Uganda is full of sporting talent, so we are pleased to be part of the growth of such talents while providing the market with a product they need,” he added.
The competition will feature Busoga, Teso, Bukedi, Kampala, Lango, Ankole, Bugisu, Sebei, Bunyoro, Acholi, West Nile, Karamoja, Kigezi, Buganda, Tooro, and Rwenzori regions. FUFA launched the competition in 2018, with Buganda and Acholi winning the first and second editions in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
According to FUFA, all Ugandan players are eligible to participate in the championship. However, for a player to represent a certain province, their biological mother or father must be of descent or ancestry from such a province, or they must have lived in that province for not less than ten years.
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