Education has no limit and thus very valuable anytime it is achieved. FUFA considers improvement of Human Resource Development as a key area under its Strategic Plan set way back in 2016.
Based on the above, the FUFA Football Development Department organised an online course on Tuesday 11th May 20201 for the Media Officers of the 16 teams in the StarTimes FUFA Big League. The course was coordinated by the FUFA Communications Department.
The education session was aimed at tuning the Media Officers ahead of the kickoff of the 2nd round of the 2020/21 Big League season this weekend.
The main facilitator was Communications Director Ahmed Hussein assisted by Marketing Director Esther Musoke and Football Development Director Ali Mwebe
Ahmed Hussein– FUFA Communications Director
‘The session was designed with the primary target of improving the capacity building of the club Media officers in a bid to enhance their media related operations with their respective teams. There are many demands in the areas of Communication. The public wants quality work and our main clients (Media-both at the venue and in offices) want to get the latest and quality work from Media Officers. You either adapt or die’ noted Hussein who is also a CAF trained Media Officer.
The session covered the following key areas;
• Message from FUFA President-Delivered by Football Development Director Ali MWebe
• Video: FUFA and Its Development Programmes (16 minutes)
• Importance and Objectives of Communication in football
• Internal and External Communication in football
• Planning Communication in football
• Organising press conferences in football
• Public relations planning in football
• Managing media relations in football
• Press releases for football related activities
• Importance of Social Media in football
• Match Day Media Operations; handling media, honoring deadlines with Print, broadcast media and Online publications.
The two hour training will be followed in future with practical sessions at the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru.
Participants: Otelul Veggas Lamatia, Oliver Asea (Arua Hill FC), Walusimbi David (Luweero United FC), Binoti Ewo Bonaventure (Ndejje University FC), Godfrey Drabe (Mvara Boys FC), Sam Opio (Blacks Power FC), Timothy Tuhumwiire (Kigezi HomeBoyz FC), Jusper Barigye (Terrazo and Tiles FC) Opingopi Andbati Yusuf(Unattached), Joseph Mukhooli (Mbale Heroes FC), Ronnie Lusulire (FUFA Communications), Bashir Ibrahim (FUFA Communications), Brian Inke (Paidha Black Angels FC), Hamza Nsereko (FUFA Communications), Amanya Julius Kabogoza (Nyamityobora FC), Fred Akena, Asaba Racmac (Maroons FC) Aisha Nakato (Gaddafi FC), Paul Chandia(Calvary FC), Denis Namale Bwaha (Proline FC), Erika Nyakato (Proline FC), Bakshi Asuman (Proline FC) Faizol Abujere (Calvary FC) and Eric Bingi were some of the trainees present.
Ali Mwebe-FUFA Football Development Director
“Very soon FUFA will make this training mandatory so that clubs can be able to do better when it comes to media work and communication. The Club Licensing exercise will be spreading to this are as it is deemed very important in football’
Esther Musoke-FUFA Marketing Director
‘Media and marketing go hand in hand. The training is very good to push the marketing aspect of the game because without proper media messages we cannot do well in marketing’’
FUFA Deputy CEO-Services Humphrey Mandu who represented FUFA CEO Edgar Watson.
‘On behalf of the CEO, i thank all participants who have spared time to attend this media training. As FUFA it is part of our plan to ensure we empower different stakeholders with knowledge related to the beautiful game in their different capacities. We know the value of media and how much they contribute to the development of the game’
Reactions from the Participants
Arua Hill FC Media Officer-Adams Otelul Lematia
‘I was a pioneer, one of the first to be trained by FUFA in Njeru in 2018. I did this again to remind myself on several things so that I can help to build a clean brand within Ugandan football. It has been a good session’
Arua Hill FC Oliver Asea
‘It was interesting. I have observed many gaps and we shall address them at the club to improve in service delivery to all football stakeholders. I was able to learn new things that I had no idea about and there were certain things we did and had no clue of how unprofessional they were until today. I learnt when, how, why and what to put out there, which has made the training worth attending’.
Maroons FC Head of Media and PRO Fred Akena
‘Maroons FC is privileged to be a beneficiary of the FUFA Media training organised under the institution’s communications Department. We shall implement what we learnt today’
A practical session will be organized soon at the FUFA technical center, Njeru.
Article compiled by Adams Otelul Lematia and Fred Akena
