Sponsors pull out all stops, make media happy in Gulu

Robert Tasire of Laiser Hill (centre) drives to the basket as Ngezahaya M. of PS Baptiste, Rwanda (left) tries to challenge him during their East frica Secondary School Games at Kaunda Ground, Gulu, Uganda on August 22, 2017. PHOTO | ISMAIL KEZAALA |

What you need to know:

  • on Tuesday, a much cosier media centre was opened.
  • For some, the competition was only getting started.

IN GULU, UGANDA

One can follow the Brookside East Africa Secondary School Games, that started last Friday and end this Saturday, at six venues.

For many journalists, the morning starts at St Joseph’s College Layibi, the centre of the annual games.

Then, we all spread out to Gulu High School and Comboni Vocational Institute.

There are further journeys to Save Our Souls (SOS) Children’s Village playground, Pece War Memorial Stadium, Sacred Heart Secondary School and Kaunda grounds.

Most of these venues are at least two to four kilometres apart and the easiest way to negotiate the day is by the use of boda bodas. It’s tedious and quite expensive.

Part of that load has been eased with sponsors Brookside providing two vans to ferry scribes from one venue to the other.

Brookside Public Relations Officer Wilson Okong’o has been instrumental in ensuring that the vans are readily available to get the media to the venues. In addition, the sponsors have been required to provide a media centre, as is the norm at all major events, for people to do their work in relative peace.

On Tuesday, a much cosier media centre was opened.

For some, the competition was only getting started.