Athletics coach Grace Chesang has urged the government to invest in training more female coaches as a way of protecting athletes, particularly young women, from sexual harassment within the sport.
Chesang, a former athlete now coaching in Uganda’s Sebei sub-region, says increasing the number of female coaches would create a safer training environment and help eliminate unethical practices that continue to threaten athletes’ careers.
She argues that many female athletes are vulnerable due to their backgrounds, making them easy targets for exploitation by some male coaches and managers.
“We have lost young and promising athletes because of sexual harassment. Our female athletes are sometimes harassed by their coaches and managers who are greedy and exploit them for financial gain, which ends up destroying their careers”, says Coach Chesang.
According to Chesang, some coaches and managers take advantage of athletes’ financial struggles by making false promises of support and success, often attaching inappropriate conditions.
“Most of these athletes come from humble backgrounds and they are promised better opportunities, but under conditions that involve personal relationships, which is wrong and harmful to their future,” she added.
Chesang believes that empowering more women to take up coaching roles will not only protect athletes but also restore integrity and professionalism in the sport.
Her remarks add to growing concerns within Uganda’s athletics fraternity over athlete welfare, with stakeholders increasingly calling for stronger safeguards, better oversight, and deliberate investment in coach development.
