Sport is about dreams, the pain and toil we undergo to achieve them, and the glory we share with friends and family when we achieve them. That is why sport has a contagious effect on people,  that’s why it commands a big following second to religion. Some have gone the skewed mile and declared it a religion after all it embraces the same “values” as the various faiths we belong to

In Uganda, the spirit of networks, sharing happy moments that are embedded in the core of culture of Ugandan society has led to the rapid growth of sporting disciplines in the country. The love for sport is unquestionable, but why doesn’t this love last a lifetime? Why is sport a fling to many Ugandans? Why is it hot girl you meet at the bus stop on Monday morning but the attraction never lasts till Friday? I have been trying to answer this question not just as a fan of sport, but as an enthusiast of the business of sport and the impact it has had on the global economy. I go to games each weekend trying to answer this question, but to date, answers have eluded me. All are I have are “what ifs?”

Today, as has been my practice for the past decade, I tuned in to two of Sunday’s most popular local sports shows on radio, one on Ddembe fm and the other on Top radio. Top radio presenters were discussing their growing distaste of the retardation affecting local football. On Ddembe fm discussed Nelson Mandela and what lessons sports administrators should draw from him. I got more what ifs, more criticisms of the current structure of sport, the leaders of sport and their failure to create an environment for organic growth of sport. But then, what if we stopped crying over the lost 34 year the Uganda cranes has not played at the Nations cup and concentrated on how we can change that? What if we stopped talking good game and started building this revenue generating industry? What if we took sport for what it really is? The most entertaining job in the world!

What if we realized that if we wanted to make sports an industry, we treat it like one? What if we treated sports for what it really is, a social business; with social and monetary goals. That fans always get value for money in form of quality entertainment, and that the players, who put their bodies on the line to feed our hunger and thirst of sport, get a fair remuneration for their efforts. What if we started addressing the fundamentals questions that need answers in this young stagnated industry? What if we closed the door to whack ass powerbrokers and embraced true visionaries? What if we could love sport everyday of our lives rather than just on a Saturday or Sunday?