By 
Julius Ssekitoleko’s recent debacle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is the latest episode in what has by longevity been a series of disappearances by Ugandan athletes when granted the unique opportunity to represent the country in any sports discipline.
Majority of these professionals perceive such opportunities to be a shot at redemption given the challenging and hard-to-navigate experiences they are subjected to back home, and therefore a perfectly orchestrated departure plan always presents a new adventure and a glimmer into a more desirable life.
The reasons for Julius’ attempted vanish don’t differ much from the above and indeed for the umpteenth time, James Odongo, a rugby player also thought it wise to go AWOL [away without official leave] on a quest for greener pastures the past fortnight while on national duty. What remains sad though is that there have been relatively few attempts to drill down into why this is the case.
Speaking with the benefit of hindsight, the entire ecosystem of the sport worldwide revolves around the idea that it offers opportunity in varying shapes and forms. This aptly explains why sportsmen from a well-to-do background like Ricardo Kaka get to share the same stage with the likes Ronaldinho Gaucho who grew up with literally nothing to their name.
Unfortunately, the economic situation and structure in Uganda don’t support competitive wages for sportsmen regardless of the respective discipline and we as a country are so quick at throwing blame and hostile judgement to actions we deem unpatriotic and unprofessional at the same time.
The unprecedented return of the weightlifter has sparked a can of worms with a debate in that particular direction. Questions about the motivation for his earlier disappearance from the hotel camp in Izumisano city have been the talk around town as if to say that we as a country are oblivious to the reasons that forced his hand.
Julius Ssekitoleko leaving Japan for home. PHOTO MOFA UGANDA
This has manifested itself in the ways local media has ridden on the narrative that the weightlifter is responsible for the country’s recent public relations (PR) erosion at the event which might eventually pose serious ramifications to the tourism harvests. While this might have some truth, I still think the kind of stick given to him is rather unfair and misguided.
His sanctioning and unethical detention at Jinja Road Police station where he has been since Friday evening hasn’t come off well for most sports enthusiasts in the country with the concern being the amount of energy invested in castigating this young athlete who many believe requires guidance and counselling to better his personal life and that of his young pregnant wife.
I learned from a colleague, Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo, a week ago that outside being a weightlifter, Julius is a bouncer at some of the local night clubs and bars which haven’t been operational for over a year now and therefore rendering him to succumb to a life of constant financial struggle.
This is indeed an indictment to the government that after over three decades in administration, sport and sports personnel are still getting the short-hand of the stick. It is high time the powers that be at the federations stopped the odd comfort and embarked on creating a relationship with players which is not only limited to mere adversarial but also more engaging into the personal lives of these sportsmen.
Listening to the CID spokesperson Charles Twine (in an interview with NBS television on Sunday evening) wax lyrical about how Julius was a possible victim of circumstance and how very cognisant to the presumption of innocence the police maintains brought a feeling of mixed emotions in my innermost person.
In the wake of all this unfathomable propaganda, one can only imagine and pity the kind of agony his young wife and mother are experiencing since the entire saga commenced. Not only has it damaged his reputation but also that of his entire family and the authorities must consider his mental health here.
That withstanding, Ssekitoleko isn’t the first to attempt the shortcut and will most certainly not be the last. The only way in which we can insulate Ugandan sport from episodes of players going AWOL is by ensuring that they don’t get the short end of the stick when it comes to opportunities.
There is a further need for a formula in which there is routinely no pretence of paternalistic protection of opportunity and fairness ends up being a deal-breaker. These vanishingly small opportunities rub those that cherish fairness the wrong way, triggering sad, mad and bad outcomes.
