U.S. Sports Envoys Visit Uganda

The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Soccer, the governing body of football in the United States, have teamed up to send American coaches and players from U.S. national teams on sports education programs to Bahrain, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.  The purpose of the programs is to promote the values of teamwork, respect and leadership that can be learned through youth participation in sports. 

The U.S. government “Sports Envoy” program brings Curt Onalfo, an Assistant Coach for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, and Tiffany Roberts, a veteran of the gold-medal winning 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic Football team and the 1999 U.S. Women’s World Cup team, to Uganda from October 10-12. 

Onalfo and Roberts will participate in clinics and question and answer sessions with the following schools and players in Uganda:

1) Tuesday October 10, 2006 : Girls and boys’ clinics at the Masaka Senior Secondary School in Masaka from 2:00pm to 4:30pm;

2) Wednesday October 11, 2006: Clinic for boys from Old Kampala Secondary School and St. Mary’s Kitende Secondary School at Old Kampala Secondary School from 9:00am to 10:00 am;

3) Wednesday October 11, 2006: Clinic for women from Makerere, Ndejje, Nkumba and Kampala International universities and members of the Uganda’s Women’s National Team, the She Cobs, at Makerere University Sports Ground from 11:00am to 12:00 noon;

4) Wednesday October 11, 2006: Boys and girls’ clinics with Makerere Advanced Secondary School and Lubiri Secondary School at Old Kampala Secondary School from 1:30pm to 4:30pm;

5) Thursday October 12, 2006: Clinic for girls from St. John Wakitaka and Lubanyi Secondary Schools at Kakindu Grounds in Jinja (October 12) from 10:00am to 11:00am.

Roberts and Onalfo will also have the opportunity to meet members of Uganda’s football establishment at a reception hosted by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section on the evening of October 11. 

The visit of Sports Envoys Onalfo and Roberts to Uganda this October follows the participation last summer by two Ugandan youth in another State Department sports exchange program, the World Cup Youth delegation.  Memory Nampijja of Masaka and Henry Tumwesigye of Kampala joined secondary school students from twelve other nations for a two week trip to the United States and Germany from June 10-June 24.  Through the program, the two Ugandan youth had the opportunity to meet with young people from the U.S. and other nations who share a passion for the global sport of football.  In addition to tourism activities in both the U.S. and Germany, the students participated in team building and leadership exercises which contribute to development of important academic and life skills.  In Germany, the Youth Delegation had the chance to see the exciting Ghana versus U.S. match.

Memory and Henry will be assisting U.S. Soccer’s Onalfo and Roberts with football clinics for their school teams at Masaka Senior Secondary School and Makerere Advanced Secondary School, respectively.

Journalists who wish to cover events in which U.S. Soccer’s Onalfo or Roberts are participating in Uganda should contact U.S. Embassy Deputy Public Affairs Officer Paul Stevenson (StevensonPW@state.gov or 0772-215-514) or Information Assistant Tina Turyagyenda (TuryagyendaTX@state.gov or 41-259-791, ext. 6122).