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By Nkunda Ricky

Uganda is looking to cement further collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following the visit of the organisation’s president, Thomas Bach. He arrived in the country on Tuesday (October 22) for a two-day visit alongside his wife and an entourage from the IOC and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).

Uganda hopes to strengthen its relationship with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after Thomas Bach, the organization’s head, visited the country. His wife and a delegation from the IOC and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) joined him on Tuesday, October 22, for a two-day visit.

He was welcomed at Entebbe International Airport sports state minister Peter Ogwang alongside a delegation from the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC), led by president Donald Rukare, vice-president Moses Mwase, and general secretary Beatrice Ayikoru.

A team from the National Council of Sports (NCS) led by chairman Ambrose Tashobya and general secretary Patrick Ogwel were also present to receive Bach at the airport’s VIP lounge.

Olympians Joshua Cheptegei, Winnie Nanyondo, and Halima Nakaayi were part of the Ugandan delegation that received the visiting Olympic body chief, who is serving his last term as president of IOC.

After a brief reception at the airport, Bach and his entourage headed to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (formerly called The Zoo), where he planted a tree as part of the sustainability project. He was then guided on a tour around the facility.

Bach had the chance to feed the baboons and giraffes, as well as make brief visits to the enclosures of the white rhinos, lions, and tigers.

On Wednesday, Bach will visit the Game Connect refugee project, which connects refugees and sports, at the Yes Centre in Nsambya.

Thereafter, he will proceed to State House to meet the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, among other dignitaries.

“His visit bestows a lot of confidence in the country in terms of sports,” said minister Ogwang.

“This country [Uganda] has participated in the Olympics since inception, and we are ready to share our experiences with him but also in areas where we think the IOC could collaborate with us in terms of sports development.

“But his visit also helps us to show the world that Uganda is doing well, even in regards to our iconic projects like the Teryet High Altitude Training Centre, which we want to open to the rest of the world,” said Ogwang.

“We think his coming here will help us in advertising that unique facility. He is also here in support of the refugee project, and we are going to commit our continued support and collaboration for the same. I want to thank him for choosing Uganda out of the 260 countries and the UOC and NCS for organizing the visit.”

On his part, Ogwel noted that Bach’s visit strengthens Uganda’s relationship with the IOC further and shows that he appreciates what the government and athletes are doing.