David GOMBE
The Federation of International Gymnastics Morinari Watanabe to embark on supporting growth and development of gymnastics in Uganda.
The Federation President arrived in Uganda on Friday morning Watanabe and was received by Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare and Gymnastics Association Uganda (GAU) President Aya Harriet.
Watanabe who returns to Uganda since his maiden visit in 2022 revealed that they will continue to give support to Uganda.
“Every year we organize a meeting with Gymnastics’ federations in developing countries to see how we can develop and solve various problems together. This year we are in Uganda to talk about the challenges and how we can support.” Said Watanabe
GAU President Aya believes Watanabe’s visit will help boost the development of gymnastics in the country
“The Federation of International Gymnastics does support growth and development in all developing countries, this time around its Uganda’s turn to take up this opportunity.”
“FIG pledges equipment and for Uganda there’s equipment worth $1M. It’s upon our government to come and board to present to the FIG a hall or piece of land to see how they can collaborate. The equipment is very expensive and for developing countries you cannot purchase it.” Said Aya
On his visit to Uganda, the FIG President Watanabe and other members from the body will have several meetings from 26th-28th February.
The International body has dedicated 29th February to Uganda were they will explore the country in terms of gymnastics.
For starters in 2016, Watanabe become the ninth President of the FIG and the first non-European to hold the post. Before taking office, he had been the Secretary General of the Japanese Gymnastics Association since 2009.
He also served as managing director.
Watanabe was re-elected for a three-year term (2022–2024) by the member Gymnastics federations at the 83rd FIG Congress in Antalya, Turkey, in November 2021.
He has also been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2018 and a member of the Council of the Association of the Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) since 2019.
