COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, USA – As yet another indication of the growth in popularity and participation the sport of lacrosse is experiencing around the globe, World Lacrosse (WL) has officially recognized its first Full Member National Governing Body from the Continent of Africa, the Uganda Lacrosse Association (ULA).

World Lacrosse is the international federation for women’s and men’s lacrosse, as Provisionally Recognized by the International Olympic Committee, and is a member of the Global Association of International Sports Federations.

The Uganda Lacrosse Association first became an Associate Member of World Lacrosse (known then as the Federation of International Lacrosse) in 2011 and, by unanimous vote of the WL Board of Directors, is now being elevated to Full Member status. As a Full Member, the ULA will have a voting delegate eligible to participate in the annual World Lacrosse General Assembly. In addition, National Teams representing Uganda will be eligible to advance to the championship bracket and win medals in all WL World Championship events.

The recommendation to elevate the Uganda Lacrosse Association to Full Member was made by the WL Development Committee, based upon the tremendous progress being made to expand opportunities for participation in the sport in Uganda, including:

• Using the World Lacrosse bronze-level coach development curriculum, the Uganda Lacrosse Association trained its entire U19 team and 10 additional individuals to serve as coaches for boys and girls teams at the grassroots level;

• In partnership with World Lacrosse, the Uganda Lacrosse Association has trained more than 30 individuals on the foundational elements of officiating to expand their pool of qualified grassroots officials;

• The Uganda Lacrosse Association has been successful in securing official recognition from its National Olympic Committee, which has opened the door to access to NOC facilities and participation in NOC activities;

• Uganda was the first African country to send a team to compete in a WL World Championship (2014).

“Sport has the power to transform lives, and that is exactly what we see happening in Uganda through the important work and progress of the ULA,” said World Lacrosse President Sue Redfern. “Young people are being empowered and inspired as they learn the valuable life-lessons offered by lacrosse. Today’s announcement is a significant milestone in the growth of our game, but there is considerable work that still must be done in order to make certain lacrosse is available to any young person, anywhere in the world,
who wishes to participate.”

“World Lacrosse is thrilled to welcome the Uganda Lacrosse Association as the first Full Member from the African Continent,” said Bob DeMarco, World Lacrosse Board of Directors Member and Development Director. “Since joining World Lacrosse in 2011, they have made tremendous strides in developing the sport for boys and girls, coaches and grassroots level officiating, all of which are critical to sustained success of the sport in any country.”

“I believe this recognition sets the example for other African countries that World Lacrosse is committed to supporting the growth of organizations both on the fields of play and in their governance and management,” said Uganda Lacrosse Association President Makanda Ibrahim Jaffari. “We look forward to greater participation in World Lacrosse and hopefully inspiring other African nations to use lacrosse as a tool for solidarity.”

The Uganda Lacrosse Association joins Puerto Rico Lacrosse and the Hungarian Lacrosse Association as members of World Lacrosse that have been elevated to Full Member in the past year. In total, World Lacrosse has 68 member-National Governing Bodies worldwide.

The Uganda Lacrosse Association is one of three World Lacrosse member-NGBs on the Continent of Africa. The Ghana Lacrosse Association and Kenya Lacrosse Association are Associate Members.