The current global financial crisis is not only affecting government programmes but is also crippling local sport.

This was evident when the national Karate team failed to raise Frw.10million for participation in the zone five championships, which is scheduled for May 27-30 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The president of the local Karate federation; Theogne Uwayo told Times Sport that they failed to raise the money after the Sports ministry had told them that they didn’t have money to sponsor the karate team for the championship.

"They (sports ministry) told us that they couldn’t raise money for our participation and we understood because all federations have been told to slash their proposal budgets,” Uwayo said yesterday.

The ministry of sports has already sponsored the African U-20 Youth football championship, which was held in January, the zone five basket championships and is still funding the senior national football team in the ongoing World and African Cup qualification campaign.

The Zone five karate championships is an annual competition, which started in 2002 and brings together national teams from Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eriteria, Tanzania, Democratic republic of Congo and Egypt.

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