TICAD CUP 2023 (Women’s football tournament)

As part of the activities to promote TICAD, Tokyo International Conference on African Development, JICA Uganda together with Soltilo Bright Stars (SBS), Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) and UNHCR held the TICAD CUP 2023, a Women's football tournament from 1st to 3rd, September 2023 at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru.
The tournament was attended by dignitaries including; H.E FUKUZAWA Hidemoto, the Ambassador of Japan, a representative from Office of Prime Minister, Mr. FUKUHARA Ichiro, JICA Senior Representative, Country Representatives for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and for UN Women and FUFA Officials.

The TICAD CUP under the theme ‘Women in Sports: Peaceful Co-existence’ was aimed at promoting gender equality, empowering all girls and women, and fostering mutual understanding between refugees and host communities, thus involving Pagirinya Young Ladies Sports Club from Pagirinya Refugee Settlement and their host communities in Adjumani and Rwamwanja Queens from Rwamwanja Refugee settlement and their host communities in Kamwenge. Other football clubs from Jinja Senior Secondary School, Kawempe Muslim Secondary School, Wakiso Hills Secondary School and King of Kings Secondary School in Fort Portal joined the tournament that was both friendly and quite competitive.

SBS held football clinics for Pagirinya team and Rwamwanja team in preparation of this tournament. They were warming up for the tournament hardly and gained techniques from the professional players from SBS filled with joy and laughter. In this year, many games were closely competed at high level to take higher lank. Kawempe Muslim S.S. won the TICAD CUP 2023, defeating Jinja S.S.S. 5-4 (in penalties) in the finals.
During the event, Mr. Fukuhara, the senior representative, JICA Uganda Office, highlighted the role of sports in development, empowerment of women and mutual understanding between refugees and host communities, noting that sports have great influence to make peaceful coexistence more familiar in Uganda and girls grow their dreams.
“I was able to aware of my talent thanks to football.”, the captain from Rwamwanja team talked proudly.

The tournament was held to foster mutual understanding between refugees and host communities. All the players stayed the same accommodation and took social lectures on menstruation hygiene and mental health together. In the games, they did not mind the difference of their abilities and respected each other.

The tournament was garnished with side activities demonstrating some Japanese culture such as; karate presentations, chopstick challenge and writing their name with Japanese traditional stationary by JICA Volunteers. Karate is most popular activity among the participants, and a player from Jinja S.S.S. performed Karate representing all participants. In addition, there was a friendly match between JICA and FUFA Officials, which wound up 3:1 with JICA emerging winners.

In the end, JICA believes that sports can promote mutual understanding between refugees and host communities and give all the players their dreams. TICAD CUP 2023, especially for the teams from refugee settlement, will go a long way in boosting their confidence, enabling them to believe in themselves and achieving their dreams.