Uganda may not be able to send full team to All-Africa Games due to financial problems, official claims

Uganda’s participation at the All-Africa Games has been thrown into doubt after the country’s sports governing body admitted they are in financial turmoil ahead of the event, due to take place from September 4 to 19 in Congo's capital Brazzaville.

It has been reported that the National Council of Sports Uganda is facing problems with funding, with secretary Jasper Aligawesa telling Chinese news agency Xinhua that they are facing a $550,000 (£353,000/€483,000) deficit in financing sending their athletes to the 10th edition of the Games.

“There is no way we shall take the full contingent of 80 people if we don't get all the money,” he said.

Aligawesa said they are looking to the Government to help with their finances in order to be able to field a full team of athletes at the Games in Brazzaville.

A team of 55 athletes are due to represent Uganda at the Games in nine sports - athletics, badminton, women's basketball, boxing, cycling, swimming, table tennis, tennis and weightlifting.

Uganda's Sports Minister Charles Bakkabulindi had earlier called for financial backing for the team for the event after it was claimed that they only had USh 500 million (£90,000/$140,000/€123,000) of the USh 2 billion (£361,000/$562,000/€495,000) available to fund their teams for the Games.

“We’ll need everyone’s backing, especially the corporate world,” he said.

“Teams need finances for preparation.

“So, any company with a social responsibility cause should come in handy.”

Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich will not compete in Brazzaville as he needs time to rest after the IAAF World Championships according to the Ugandan Athletics Federation ©Getty Images

Uganda finished in 14th place on the overall medals table at the last All-Africa Games, which took place in Maputo, Mozambique's capital, in 2011.

They claimed a haul of four gold medals, one silver and three bronzes at the event.

The news comes after it was announced that two of Uganda’s top athletes, Stephen Kiprotich and Moses Kipsiro, will not compete in Brazzaville.

Kiprotich, the Olympic marathon champion, is due to miss the event after Dominic Otuchet, President of the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF), said the 26-year-old will need further rest due to his participation at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Beijing, where he finished sixth.

Moses Kipsiro, a two-time winner of the Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres and over 5,000m once, will also be absent in Brazzaville having failed to achieve qualification times.

Kipsiro has endured a tumultuous relationship with the UAF as he was reportedly sent a threatening message by a member of the coaching staff, which prompted him to refuse to travel to the World Cross-Country Championships in China in March.