After being named to the Uganda youth football association (UYFA) executive committee, Jaffar Ssenganda has laid plans to ensure a proper pathway for Ugandan young football talents.
Ssengada is also happy with the new lower-level education curriculum set to be rolled out by the government, saying that it will support sports talent scouting and nurturing.
Hajji Jaffar Ssenganda is no new name in Uganda’s academic and sporting atmosphere. He is the proprietor of Twinbrook Schools, which also houses the Twinbrook sports academy in Kitetika, Gayaza.
He expressed pride in being named on the Uganda youth football association (UYFA) Executive committee as Vice chairman in charge of administration.
“Because I wanted to add my expertise, we have lots of challenges, it is underfunded, we must have the infrastructure and we must organize as many competitions as possible,” he noted.
UYFA Chairman Roberts Kiwanuka appointed the Twinbrook Schools director the new Vice Chairman in charge of Administration during the association’s elective assembly held at the FUFA hotel in Kisasi.
“If we get more players in the top leagues, obviously we promote our country, we promote the economy.”
Ssenganda was a promising football player in his childhood before a teacher beat him to disability during his primary school level which put an end to his talent. With football passion in him, he wants to find a clear pathway for Uganda’s young football talents.
“Football is a multibillion economy, but here we see, it is not well structured.”
He says that education must move hand-in-hand with sports.
“The mentality of some of our parents is a huge obstacle to the development of talents. Some parents think that if children play soccer, it limits their chances of becoming academically professionals.”
With schools pouting so much focus on education and disregarding sports, Ssenganda is happy with the coming education curriculum that is being introduced by the government.
“That will give us ample time to better support our learners with less pressure from our parents who think that when you integrate sports in education, you do it at the expense of the learners.”
Twinbrook sports academy is one of Uganda’s top academies. Ssenganda revealed how he manages both academic and sports excellence.
“during our lunchtime sports programme, every child plays but we also have a structured academy running from year3-15, but next year will go on up to year 17 because we are bringing partners from the Netherlands who will help to push our agenda even further.
He says that they have also put in place hostels so as to retain their talents from their academy as they get prepared for professional ranks.
Twinbrook schools management has put up a number of sports amenities as a basketball and handball court, astro turf football ground, a natural grass playing field, swimming pool and indoor sports like Table Tennis with the recent development being an extension of the sports field.
This is a step in the desired right direction to develop the sports infrastructure as a lee-way of nurturing more talented young sportsmen
