MBARARA
The suspension of the Ankole Districts Tournament has caused tension among the District Leaders and the organisers of the tournament after court issued an order to suspend them.
Following the high court of Mbarara order issued on 24th July 2023 restraining further matches of the Tournament until the hearing and determination of the court main applicant or until any other decisions are made, all games on Semi-finals have been put on hold.
The aggrieved Mayor Kakyebezi and his team at Kyamate
Responding to the orders of the Court, the Organisers of the tournament (Abomugisha Sports Venture co. Ltd) were forced to also suspend the tournament until further notice.
According to the sources, there are allegations that there was mishandling, irregularities and confusions within the tournament caused by poor and biased decisions from the referees and the organisers of the tournament.
Before the tournament was suspended, the Tournament had reached the semifinals stage with the upcoming games as Ntungamo District would take on Mitooma District while Sheena District would take on Buhweju District.
The court order came in after some individuals from Bushenyi District filed a case in Mbarara High Court on case No. HCT: 05-CX – MA 312 / 2023 against Abomugisha Sports Venture Co. Ltd, the organisers of the Tournament led by Michael Nimusiima, the Chairman of the Tournament. Among the applicants are Kakonge Apollo Lee, Zadoc Amanyisa and Richard Twesigye.
The above-mentioned applicants went to court claiming that the court must restrain the organisers of the Ankole District Football tournament from continuing with playing any further matches in the same tournament until the investigations are made and the final judgement from court.
This saga originated from the havoc between Bushenyi District VS Sheema District in the quarter final match which the both teams disagreed about the referee’s decision. During the same match, Bushenyi District was leading 1-0 against Sheena District.
In the process, at about the 77th minute, the referee gave a penalty in favor of Sheema District which the Bushenyi side challenged. Violence ensued with fans from either side storming the pitch while others attacked the referee before police intervened.
The match ended abruptly and the Bushenyi District team kept claiming their win.
Later after some days, when the Board management of the tournament sat in the meeting they came up with a decision for a rematch that was taken to Kakyeka Stadium in Mbarara. When the two teams reached Kakyeka they also failed to agree as Bushenyi District insisted that they wanted to play only 13 minutes that had remained in the previous game that was cancelled. Their argument was not considered by the Sheema District team and the management of the Tournament. This triggered the management of the tournament led by the Chairman Nimusiima to consider Sheema District as the winner qualifying for Semi-finals. Bushenyi District was therefore disqualified due to indiscipline and misconduct.
Same scenario occurred at Kyamate Stadium in Ntungamo Municipality about one week ago when Ntungamo district was playing Mbarara City in the Quarter finals.
The match was interrupted after the referee gave a penalty to the Ntungamo District team which the Mbarara City players and fans judged wrong. Some fans and leaders from Mbarara City were aggressive as they stormed the pitch with the players as they resisted against the penalty. The match stopped from there. Before the penalty decision, the game was a 1-1 that would give Mbarara City team a chance to go straight to Semifinals if it ended in a draw.
After that incident, the management came up with a decision and Mbarara was disqualified giving Ntungamo free 3 points as qualification to Semi-finals.
Mayor Robert Kakyebezi blamed it on the Organisers of the tournament claiming that there was corruption between Ntungamo District and the top officials of the tournament. He said that the tournament was poorly arranged by the management and that some officials of the tournament were siding with some teams in the tournament.
Mbarara City Leaders, Players protesting the penalty.
Apparently, there is tension as the management of the tournament are plotting to meet with all the Ankole District LCV Bosses to ensure that these matters are withdrawn from court so that they can be resolved amicably. The meeting is spearheaded by the LCV Chairman for Mbarara District Didas Tabaro and Nimusiima the Ankole Districts Tournament Chairman. The meeting is slated for this Sunday 30th July 2023 at Buffalo Hotel in Mbarara at 12:00pm.
According to the Ankole Districts Tournament Chairman, as management of the tournament they tried efforts to finish these matters through mediation before they had reached to court, but the applicants refused. That the people of Bushenyi District insisted that they wanted to be back in the tournament and they wanted their points that they played for against Sheema District.
“We have written to the court seeking an explanation why they ordered for the suspension of the tournament. We are also challenging the decision made by the same court. This matter was not supposed to be taken to court, as people we would finish this matter amicably. This is one of the reasons why we are even meeting the Ankole District Bosses to ensure that the matter is withdrawn from court and we solve it through mediation,” said Nimusiima.
Michael Katureebe Kakuhikire from Ntungamo District urged that however much there are a lot of complaints and issues being raised by unsatisfied teams, it should be put in mind that in football between the two teams one team has to come out winning. He said that to avoid complaints and sorts of issues, these matches should be organised in a neutral district to remove any kind of suspicion.
Katurebe added that about the issues of bribery and corruption related issues that are going on in the football field as it is alleged in these inter districts, there should be a neutral disciplinary committee that should handle these issues. He challenged that issues of ending a match prematurely leaves a lot of discomfort, suspicion among the players and supporters.
He urged all leaders from different levels that it’s high time to start supporting and promoting sports in Western Uganda and the entire Country.
