On Sunday, the Lugogo Cricket Oval played host to one of the biggest social events of this year’s calendar, Blankets and Wine.
Sunday started with the immense blessings of the rain, and this assured that the day’s enjoyment and fun would be had on a wet, muddy, haggard, and all forms of mucky.
Revelers were encouraged to carry relevant boots and other forms of hard material shoes to stand a chance against the turf.
This announcement was only met with anguish and despair by the grounds attendants of the venue that, only recently, was home to Uganda as they cruised to victory in the Victoria Series.
Social media has been filled with cries for the rejuvenation of the ground, while others have called for Sports to leave Lugogo for entertainment.
Lugogo Oval asked for water after Lockdown
Right out of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2022, there were numerous shows held at the venue.
There was an uproar and social media pressure from lovers of sports across the country for the venue to be left out of conversations regarding hosting entertainment events.
Without these events the grass can grow, can breathe, and the grounds people can tend to it, and make it ripe for cricket – as it should be.
Everyone that advocated for this would look back at last Sunday and shake their heads in disbelief.
Uhhm, this is not a Sports-only debate. This query stretches farther back than that. It is no secret that cricket is a niche sport.
Closeted and gatekept among a few, Cricket doesn’t have the capabilities to generate income like all these entertainment events.
The National Council of Sports, in trying to find funds to maintain these grounds and also support various sports, finds themselves renting out these venues for commercial purposes.
But, at some point, it is all pretence, and the NCS is using these events to mint money. It gets clearer every passing day that the oval is private property and is run as so. That’s the only explanation that makes sense.
For 66 days last year, the Oval was unavailable for cricket activities, according to a letter from the NCS to the Uganda Cricket Association.
A visibly broken Denis Musali ( Communications Manager, Uganda Cricket Association) expressed his disappointment in the NCS then.
The reason, the cricket family had to redesign their plan for the association’s activities with other venues in mind.
The Mbonye-Cricket Oval saga
In 2018, it needed intervention from the IGG to suspend activities of the Zoe Fellowship from the grounds.
An investigation into the UGX 8M-Per-Tuesday-Fellowship for 24 months deal that the NCS agreed with Prophet Mbonye and his ministries was run.
UCA had raised this concern because they could not see the maintenance that NCS was doing on the grounds, yet fellowships were being had regularly.
The ground’s condition deteriorated, yet the maintenance money was being paid on time despite the poor state.
At this juncture, I would like to request the NCS to proclaim whether the facility is meant for Sports.
And, will be maintained using the money generated from the non-sporting activities or all the sports disciplines housed there should find solace elsewhere.
By: James Kavuma
Courtesy Photos
