Legislators on Tuesday reconsidered the National Sports Bill, 2023 integrating several amendments that included the erasure of kickboxing and the introduction of archery sport in the country.
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity.
The National Sports Bill, a Private Member’s Bill was moved by Moses Magogo, the Budiope East County Member of Parliament. It was initially tabled for First Reading on November 10, 2022, and was passed by the House on 02 March 2023.
However, the Bill was returned by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni with key proposed amendments to introduce archery, a sport played in the Olympics. While presenting the report by the Committee on Education and Sports during plenary sitting, the committee chairperson, John Twesigye, agreed to the President’s proposal.
Kickboxing was simultaneously removed from the list of recognized sports as it is not recognized by the council. The committee recommended that archery sports discipline be added as proposed by the President since it is recognized by the National Council of Sports.
The House additionally adopted the proposal by the President to amend section 32 (2) for members of the Board of the National Council of Sports. According to the new amendments; the council shall have a board of seven members which shall be the Governing Board of the Council consisting of a chairperson and six members.
It shall include; a representative from the Ministry responsible for Sports; two representatives from any two Traditional Regions of Uganda; a representative of the national sports associations or the national sports federations; a representative of the Athletes; the Private Sector; and a person with experience in sports administration.
Furthermore, a member of the Board referred to in subsection (2) shall be a person with knowledge and experience in Sports Administration. The minister shall appoint the members of the board.
The House, however, declined to delete clause 75 as recommended by the committee which provides that the land on which the public sports facilities are established and the public sports facilities thereon shall vest in the Council.
The President had proposed that there’s a need to make provision for the Schedule of the Sports facilities that will vest in the Council specifying the location, acreage, and current registered proprietors of the sports facilities.
Speaker Anita Among who chaired the session tasked the committee chairperson to explain the proposal to delete the clause, and yet the clause protects sporting land and facilities in Uganda.
