Uganda’s National Council of Sports Chairman Resigns

In light of the controversy surrounding the branding and use of the refurbished MTN Arena in Lugogo, Uganda, the board chairman of the National Council of Sports (NCS), Anthony Katamba, has resigned.
On two occasions Katamba stopped the FUBA from holding basketball games at MTN Arena due to a disagreement over the use of old basketball hoops for competition. The latest controversy is surrounding the FIBA Africa Zone Five Club Tournament that is taking place at the Arena without his consent.
“I have been left with no option but to resign with immediate effect. I however use the opportunity to implore you and the remaining members of the Council to preserve this key public infrastructure by using it in accordance with best practice,” Katamba wrote in a letter to the Uganda Minister of Sport, Charles Bakkabulindi, which served as his official letter of resignation. The chief concern that Katamba has is playing at MTN on a resurfaced floor, but placing old hoops that he has stated would damage the floor. His recommendation was to ask FIBA to push the tournament back to early in September to give them time to get the new hoops installed.
After an extend NCS board meeting last Sunday, the board voted to move forward with the tournament as scheduled, prompting Katamba’s actions. “For me it was a matter of principle,” said Katamba. He met with Bakkabulindi on Monday and tendered his letter of resignation on Wednesday. “It makes no difference. I have appointed John Onyik as acting chairman,” Bakkabulindi has stated.
“And it’s been portrayed as MTN being anti sports in this whole thing and that it is the one that stopped basketball from being played at the Arena,” Katamba noted. “No. It was me who did it as chairman of NCS primarily to protect the facility.”