KAMPALA Uganda’s national football Premier League has been suspended because of a players’ strike over what they call poor treatment.Raymond Ssekandi, the spokesman for the Uganda Super League Limited (USLL), the organizers of the league told Xinhua in an interview on Thursday that the league has been suspended while they try to see what can be done to get the players through their association to have a change of heart. Uganda Premier League players, under the Federation of Football Players Association, formed last year, last week listed several demands which must be met before they can kick a ball again.Led by Dan Walusimbi the chairperson, they demand to have “easily understood contracts” to be given to the 400 registered players. “We are being exploited by our teams and some of these contracts are not signed by the players but simply forced on us,” said Walusimbi. The strike which started last week forced three League matches to fail to take place which forced USLL to suspend the tournament.Apart from contracts, the players’ body is also requesting for image rights, a legislated minimum wage and the immediate resignation of FA president Lawrence Mulindwa and Uganda Cranes coach Bobby Williamson.However, the FA spokesman Rogers Mulindwa said that the players will not force the Federation to handle transfers and contracts in the middle of the season. “These players should know where their powers stop. They should simply get back to the field and play football,” said Mulindwa.
