Uganda Olympic Committee holds workshop calling for more female sports administrators

A conference designed to boost female participation in sport has been held by the Uganda Olympic Committee ©UOC

Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) President William Blick has attended a three-day workshop at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala in order to develop strategies as to how to increase female participation in sports administration.

The official, who has led the UOC since 2013, urged women to "find time and be available" in the management of sports in the country.

"UOC's primary role is to empower all Ugandans both male and female in sports management and this will help increase professionalism in sports federation management," Blick stated, as reported by website New Vision.

"We want more women in sports management and such workshops and training will help on sensitising women on their rights so that they can be motivated to join sports management."

The course is one of the number organised by the UOC, and attended by President William Blick, in recent weeks ©UOC

There has been a concerted effort to increase the number of women in high profile administrative positions in recent years following much criticism over their comparitively small presence.

Each continent must include at least one female representative among their five positions on the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Executive Council, with Africa having two: consisting of Burundi's Lydia Nsekera and Lesotho's Matlohang Moila-Ramopoqo.

Twenty-one per cent of those in sports governance positions across Africa are female, it is thought.

UOC Women Commission chairperson Annet Nakamya praised Blick for heading the empowerment of women in sports in the country before calling for fellow women to take advantage of the opportunity.

"This workshop is going to help us collect views on what should be in our white paper," she said.

"We have started with women administrators, and we shall call on coaches and sports administrators before finalising our stakeholder's consultations with athletes next month on September 5."

Following the workshop, which was funded by Olympic Solidarity, members of the public have been urged to submit their ideas on how women can be promoted in sports management.

The white paper will then be developed to compile these ideas.