Since the turn of 2018 Aziz Damani has made a deliberate effort to support grass root development of cricket. The 2017 league champions introduced an U17 side in the national league which features in the third tier of Ugandan cricket and have lost extended support to Masaka SS to play in the ladies top flight.
They have further supported the growth of cricket in Kasese by facilitating ICC trained Emmanuel Isaneez to help follow up on the project started by CWB in March. The western district of Kasese has had a vibrant grass root program that has seen them dominate the mini cricket finals for the last four years in both the boys and girls categories.
However, their proximity away from the main cricketing region of Kampala is the only stumbling block in their development as resources are required to ensure that good coaches can be able to reach them. The CWB has been focused on Kasese and has made many visits to the region not only teaching cricket but spreading health messages about HIV to the youngsters.
Aziz Damani has tried to bridge this gap by facilitating a coach to help follow up on the programs in the region, there was no better person to do the follow up than Emmanuel Isaneez who also doubles as the CWB local ambassador. Isaneez was able to spend a fruitful week with the youngsters and teachers taking them through the basics of the game and he shared with us what he was able to achieve.
We are looking at Kasese as the next best cricket coaching centre at under age levels ,Aziz Damani is ready to help the project that searches for talent and channeling those children to cricket playing schools which will boost purposely the project and the community will be all covered with cricket .
CWB comes to Uganda twice a year and coaches these children who will later on need continuity in the sport so we are actually partners now with Aziz Damani to help these talented children ,excitingly the teachers and community leaders are backing it up and we have new schools coming up together with those who already have been participating in the UCA activities the likes of Kyanjuki Primary School ,Bulembia Primary School, Namuhuga Primary School ,Kyambogho Primary School, Masule Primary to mention but a few . We already have some beneficiaries of the program from primary school channeled to Masaka SS and we are looking at having more.
The support of Aziz Damani to programs such as these goes a long way in supporting Uganda Cricket in its effort to make sure the beautiful game reaches all regions in the country. As long as there is a genuine effort especially resources for coaches who give valuable knowledge to children the next big effort will be in working on their facilities.