One bird, one stone: professionalization of sport structures as a strategy for harnessing elite sport success in Uganda

Abstract

This paper explores the significance of professionalization of sport in harnessing elite sport success in Uganda’s sport system. The study adopted qualitative and case study designs involving an exhaustive review of literature; in-depth semi-structured interview data analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that professionalization unblocks the channels for improved sporting training, competition, and performance; at elite sport events while at the same time triggering other unanticipated cross-level ‘ripple’ effects that buttress Uganda’s elite sport success. The professionalization process has however been punctuated by eminent barriers. This paper argues that professionalizing Uganda’s sport structures not only boosts the medal winning potential but also maximize its chances of tapping into the interminable benefits including; reducing amateur structures, bolstering mass sport, competitive and elite sport participation, raising the revenue generation potential of sports, and improving the general success on the pitch, all of which maximize sport contribution to Uganda’s economy.