Uganda believe they picked the right lessons from the January 22-24 World Rowing Joint Commissions Meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Batenga Nakisozi, a member of World Rowing’s Indoor Rowing Commission, represented Uganda at the meeting which brought together the international body’s commissions and executive committee to align priorities and projects for the 2026-2027 cycle.
‘Global engagement only matters if it strengthens how the sport grows locally from participation and governance to competition and performance,” Nakisozi said about the meeting that was strong on the message that the sport grows best as a connected ecosystem linking participation, clubs, coaches, officials, events, governance structures, and athletes.
The meeting pushed for growth of participation by developing structured entry points into rowing, particularly through schools and community-based programmes. This would grow numbers ahead of heavy infrastructure investment.
These numbers would require strong development structures through gradual building of club systems, coaching frameworks, and competition structures that are realistic, scalable, and aligned with international good practice.
While at it, domestic rowing bodies must improve governance, safeguarding, and standards by aligning with World Rowing standards. This would support credibility, athlete welfare, and long-term trust in the sport.
The meeting also agreed that the sport can attract partners and grow further through events, visibility, and digital engagement.