Uganda Cricket Association has been announced among the 2020 winners of the ICC Cricket For Good Social Impact Initiative of the year award. The award was given to UCA for the support extended to its players, support staff, and volunteers when the covid pandemic hit in early 2020.
The global pandemic greatly affected sports with nearly all sporting activities stopped indefinitely, this situation affected everyone involved in sports from players, support staff, and volunteers whose livelihood depends on sports activities.
This situation meant that families had to find alternative ways of putting food on the table but the Uganda Cricket Association through its various partners such as the Indian Association of Uganda was able to give support to its fraternity. The Indian Association of Uganda gave Uganda Cricket Association dry food rations that were distributed to vulnerable members from the umpires and scorers association, groundsmen, and junior coaches in areas around Kampala.
Uganda Cricket Association also extended covid relief support to Soroti Cricket Academy who distributed food items to members of the academy to ensure that the girls can be taken care of by their families during the pandemic.
Uganda Cricket Association also extended support to the growing cricket playing community of Kasese that was also terribly disturbed by the floods during the global pandemic, the boys and girls from the Rwenzori have been some of the top performers in junior cricket activities and this gesture helped them survive through the pandemic.
For the entire duration of the lockdown, the cricket cranes and lady cricket cranes squad members were all given a monthly cash allowance from the association to help them take care of their families.
The pandemic affected sports the hardest because suddenly people's livelihoods were cut off, but as an associaition we took a decision to try and look after those that support us. We want to meet them at their point of need and for themm to know that we are with them in this time of need, so we were able to find support for teachers who are very key in our development structure, our ground support staff and our national team players for both the men and women. We also didnt lay off any of our staff at the secretariate yet their other people not fortunate enough to keep their jobs. We are very honoured that our gesture has been rewarded by the ICC. Martin Ondeko CEO Uganda Cricket Association
The support given by Uganda Cricket Association was a gesture to its partners that the game can do good in their lives, the people who support the growth of the game are very important to its survival and this award is a dedication to those that support the game.