Asiimwe vows to revitalise Archery from grassroots after re-election

Following his unopposed re-election for another four-year term, Uganda Archery president Richard Mcbond Asiimwe pledged to revitalise the sport by focusing on schools. Asiimwe, along with vice presidents Peter Masaba (administration) and Sula Blick (technical), was elected unopposed during the general assembly at the UOC offices on Saturday. The Secretary General post was won by Jonathan Cula, who received 34 votes against Martha Kyosiima's 22. For regional representatives, Josephine Namayanja defeated Andrew Bajulizi 43–14 for Central, and Dan Ahimbisibwe beat Marvin Atwiine 45–14 for Western.

Andrew Oboth Omara (Eastern), Karim Marish (Northern), and Ronald Mwanje (Kampala) were also elected to represent their regions. In the athlete representative elections, Hamza Ndiwalana won the male position with 34 votes over Anthony Kapsawani's 23, while Grace Lillian Ekwaro secured the female position with 35 votes against Sylivia Nassolo's 25. Asiimwe plans to focus on schools, noting that archery can improve students' concentration and also introduce the sport to potential para-athletes. He highlighted Uganda's success in international competitions, with a para-athlete currently ranked third in the world.

He identified the high cost and limited availability of equipment as the main challenges, noting the lack of local alternatives. He added that schools are ideal for training since many have adequate space. Asiimwe expressed hope for increased government support, noting that the federation currently receives only sh10m annually, compared to other federations that receive significantly more. He stated that with adequate support, Uganda can produce medalists in archery, emphasising the presence of active athletes and ongoing efforts to introduce the sport and train new participants.

The assembly also passed constitutional amendments to help the association align with the guidelines set forth in the new sports law. "We have had 73 districts come here to not only vote in new office bearers but also to pass the new amendments. We have also changed from a federation to an association because we lack the capacity to cover a bigger geographical area as demanded by the law for a federation, looking at the resources we have and the nature of the equipment we use," Asiimwe stated. "So, I'm happy that I have been re-elected, and I pledge that I'm going to develop the sport from the grassroots, where we have young people that can excel and grow with the sport." UOC president Donald Rukare, who also attended the assembly, advised the members to focus on leaving a good legacy for the sport and to comply with the new sports law.

Uganda Archery executive 2026-2030 President: Richard McBond Asiimwe Vice President: Peter Masaba Second VP Technical: Sula Blick Secretary General: Jonathan Cula Ass Gen Sec: Aisha Namukwaya Treasurer: Kenneth Opedul Athlete Female Representative Grace Lillian Ekwaro Athlete Male Representative Hamza Ndiwalana Regional representatives Central: Josephine Namayanja Western: Dan Ahimbisibwe Kampala: Ronald Mwanje Northern: Karim Marish Eastern: Andrew Oboth Omara