President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed that every Uganda Cranes player and staff directly received UGX 30 million on their personal accounts as reward for victories at the recent CHAN tournament.

Speaking during the dinner held in their honor, Museveni emphasized the importance of good feeding and health, urging the Ministry of Health to sensitize parents on proper nutrition to help athletes attain the right build and agility. He linked this to the physical sizes of Ugandan sportsmen compared to international athletes.

The President also advised sports personalities to stay in school for as long as possible, ideally up to Senior Six, to benefit from school facilities. He revealed that in the future, schools may be required to have sports complexes before certification, and that outstanding athletes could also be recruited into the forces provided they have decent grades.

On government investment, Museveni reiterated that heavy sports funding is still to come, with future plans focused on zonal talent identification centers across regions such as Sebei and Kigezi that once produced top runners.

FUFA President Moses Magogo clarified that over 40 individuals, including technical staff and key personnel like the team driver, benefited from the cash rewards.

^{FUFA President Eng Moses Magogo Hashim Isabirye speaking during th dinner}

In his characteristic light-hearted tone, Museveni shared that he was a sportsman in his youth, offering tactical opinions on matches against Algeria and South Africa. He humorously engaged Coach Morley Byekwaso and goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa over incidents during the games, before inviting head coach Morley Byekwaso to add his remarks.

^{Cranes CHAN team Head coach Morley Byekwaso explaining to President Museveni}

The event also saw the swearing-in of Uganda’s first-ever National Anti-Doping Organization board chaired by Professor Celestine Obua, with members William Block, Suzan Anek, Richard Katuramu and Doreen Ebaju.