Day

By our reporter
www.mknewslink.com
In Kampala
The role of psychology in sports is yet to be appreciated by Ugandan sports associations, federations and clubs yet it has over the years proved to be a strong pillar in a team’s performance.
Many talented teams falter at the most important but challenging stage of competitions due to players failing to cope with the psychological demands of the sport, tournament or competition.
Sometimes talent and physical fitness alone are not sufficient for a team to deliver success and trophies. Some of the world’s not so talented teams have had to hire the services of psychologists to get to the highest levels of on-field success.
In September last year, Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) had the opportunity to engage with sports psychology at Victoria University and according to their Chief Executive Officer Martin Ondeko, the results have been positively amazing.
“I don’t know whether it is a miracle, but immediately after we had the session with Victoria University in September 2019, and in December we had a tournament, when we were there, we won all the five games,” Ondeko told our reporter in a telephone interview.
Before the 2019 Oman Cricket World Cup Challenge League B tournament in December, Uganda had decimally performed at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Final in May, but after an encounter with psychologists at Victoria University, a spirited Uganda defeated Hong Kong, Kenya, Italy, Jersey and Bermuda.
While Ondeko doesn’t solely attribute the good performance in Oman to the session they had at Victoria University, he believes those hours when the whole team was psychologically evaluated and tipped on how to overcome their psychological weakness counted.
“We were coming from a tournament where we had completely lost in May but when we had that partnership (with Victoria University) in September, and looking at how we performed in Oman, things changed for the better,” Ondeko explains.
“We believe we gained from helping players understand who they are and what can be done. We believe it made a difference at the tournament in Oman,” he adds.
In a separate interview, the Vice-Chancellor Victoria University Assoc Prof Dr Krishna N. Sharma said that during the evaluations which took at the university players were given written interviews with basic questions about the sport.
“And then we started identifying the gaps that they had in their training. We realised that they had good coaches and they were training well but one thing that was totally being neglected was their mental health and their sports psychology,” the VC said.
He added: “Sports psychology is quite different from the normal psychology. In normal psychology, you sometimes have to find your own internal way of counselling yourself. But in sports, we teach them a lot of mental toughness. Players go through a lot of stress and surprises during the game.”
The Vice-Chancellor said that through working with the association, coaches and players, they have been able to solve two major challenges – the lack of mental toughness and mental practice among players.
“Mental toughness is how you overcome criticism from fans, surprises in the game as it proceeds, and how you overcome a situation where you are not performing the way you wanted to perform. With mental practise, players imagine the whole situation. They imagine the whole game even before it starts. They imagine they are right on the track.”
Now that they tasted success on the pitch after working with professional psychologists, Ondeko says that they pondering hiring a psychologist to work with the national teams.
In the same spirit, the success with Uganda Cricket Association has led Victoria University to working with Uganda Volleyball Federation and became a member of Uganda Woodball Federation so they can introduce the aspects of sports psychology to these associations.

By Felix Twinomugisha
www.mknewslink.com
In Bushenyi
Ntungamo parish is not yet part of Bushneyui Ishaka municipality, the Bushenyi Ishaka Member of Parliament has revealed.
Gordon Arinda Cowboy was speaking during a special council meeting with the minister of Local Government Rapheal Magyezi on Friday 6th March 2020.
Cowboy said Ntungamo parish in Nyakabnirizi division is still part of Igara East because parliament has not yet confirmed the request to shift it To Bushenyi Ishaka Municiplaity as alleged by some political leaders.
Commenting on the issue, the Minister for Local government Hon Raphael Magyezi said the people should wait until parliament approves shifting Ntungamo parish from Igara to municipality.
Ntungamo ward was launched by the Bushenyi Ishaka Municipality Mayor Jackson Kamugasha and other leaders on Thursday 5th March 2020.
The function of welcoming the new ward was attended by several people including, Marvin Baryaruha, technical staff Nyakabirizi Division, Deputy town clerk, speaker Twijukye Makayi Nyakabirizi division and other stake holders at large.

By Domisiano Ayebare
www.mknewslink.com
In Bushenyi
The chairman LC III for central division in Busheny Ishaka municipality Steven Karuti has called upon local council chairmen to focus on the development of their electorates.
Karuti was speaking in a meeting held in municipal council hall aimed at reviewing and strengthening the development of Bushenyi District Sub county- Local Government Association.
According to Karuti who is the Chairman of the association which was started in August last year by the chairpersons of sub counties and LCIIs plus the speakers, it currently has 75 fully registered members.
Stephen Karuti thanked the partners who supported the association naming Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha who gave them 20 millions and Jafari Bassajabalaba who contributed 50,0000shilings.
He urged the LC1 chairpersons to take responsibility of registering people in the yellow book.

By Felix/ Domisiano
www.mknewslink.com
In Bushenyi

The minister for local government has contributed 4.5 M ugx towards the development of Nyabubare Secondary school
The minister with other district leaders were holding a special meeting with the school administration on Friday 6th March 2020.
Talking to our reporter, shortly after the meeting, the minister who is also the area MP Igara West Hon Raphael Magyezi said they had some disturbing issues but they were solved during the meeting.
He urged parents of Nyabubare secondary school to have the heart of their school through paying school fees for their children for the smooth running of the school.
Apollo Le Kakongo, the president western civil society thanked the minister for his efforts towards settling people’s problems and said he now hopes for the best from the school.
The meeting was attended by the RDC Jolly Tibamanya, CAO, Malik Mahaba, Chairman LCV Jaffari Basajjablaba, Board members, PTA members among others.

By Domisiano Ayebare
www.mknewslink.com
In Bushenyi
Bushenyi-Ishaka municipal engineer and treasurer were on Friday 6th March 2020 interdicted during a stakeholders meeting mishandling and illegally using the municipality funds.
Deus Nuwagaba the municipal engineer and Jackson Muhwezi Beyendeza were relieved of their duties by the Local Government Minister Raphael Magezi in a stakeholders meeting until investigations on the missing Ugx194 M are over.

Report showed that 37 million shillings which was meant for fuel, the 13 million shillings meant for construction of Greater church road of 0.1 km was swindled by the engineer whereas the road to the state lodge has spent six years under construction.

During the meeting, the minister tasked three of the technical staff ; The town clerk William Makune ,Engineer Deus Nuwagaba and the treasurer Jackson Muhwezi Beyendeza to account for missing ugx 194 M .

Beyendeza told the minister that he single -handedly divided the money to different departments of the municipality which left many wondering why he did so.

The minister ordered for the arrest of people from different sectors including Roberto Nuwagira the procurement officer and the deputy town clerk Didas Muhanguzi after they failed to account for the money given to them as alleged by treasurer Jackson Muhwezi Beyendeza.

Minister noted that to stop corruption at the municipality,they need to first deal with these people in offices who misused the money thus he relieved the engineer and treasurer of their duties  for meantime to clear way for investigation.
Municipality team headed by the Mayor ,Town clerk ,LC III chairman and MBUGA team were given an assignment by the minister to next week tour around municipality in order to establish the municipal boundaries.
The minister asked for list of all municipal assets and asked the authorities to always open doors to the public then ensure that the information is given to the stakeholders.
The minister assigned Chief Administrative Officer to start investigations on the issues of industrial area plots as the mayor claimed that the whole land had 33 plots only .

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