The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has today launched the 26th edition of the Kampala Amateur Volleyball Club (KAVC) International tournament aimed at showcasing and promoting Uganda’s local sports talent.
The highly anticipated annual NSSF KAVC Tournament is set to host 30 teams of both men and women from local and foreign clubs from four countries including Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda.
Speaking at the launch of the tournament during a press conference held at Lugogo Indoor Stadium in Kampala today under the theme: Championing Better Community Health and Behavior Through Sports, Barbra Arimi Teddy, the NSSF Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs said that the Fund is proud to witness and have contributed to the growth of Volleyball in Uganda, through its partnership with KAVC spanning over 15 years. “… we are pleased to say that owing to the Fund’s support, there have been great strides emerging from this partnership, including recognition of the tournament as the premier volleyball league in the East African region, hosting top clubs from countries such as Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, DRC among others.
This exposure has allowed Ugandan teams to engage in top-level competition in the region, further enriching the skills of local talent,” she said adding: “I am glad to announce that NSSF has this year committed a cash contribution of UGX40million and UGX5million in-kind contribution to support the successful organisation of the 26th edition of the NSSF KAVC International tournament.”
The Fund and KAVC entered into a partnership to promote the development of volleyball in Uganda, which was lagging behind other sports at that stage. Since then, the NSSF KAVC International has become one of the biggest Volleyball tournaments in the region.
This year, the tournament will be held at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium and Hockey grounds.
KAVC President, Irene Kiconco revealed that this year’s edition will feature corporate teams and the involvement of secondary schools, expanding the tournament’s reach and engagement.
“Some of the participating corporate organisations include DTB, Centenary Bank, URA, NBS, Total Energies EP, ABSA Bank, NWSC, Parliament of Uganda, Uganda Cancer Institute, and Housing Finance Bank while two secondary schools also confirmed participation,” she said, thanking NSSF and other sponsors for the continued support towards bringing this tournament to fruition.
The tournament is supported by the NSSF as the lead sponsor, which has been a vital partner for the past 15 years. Other key partners include Pallisa Agro-Processors, Pepsi, NBS Sport, Goodlife Pharmacy, Crown Beverages, Fakhruddin Properties, the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC), the Ministry of Health, and the Uganda Volleyball Federation (UVF).
