End of year review: Woodball

By David Namunyala

Uganda Woodball Federation (UWbF) could be described as moving on the right track given their level of performance this season.

The federation went beyond organising events for universities by bringing on board youngsters and members of the corporate world. UWbF held a juniors’ championship, one of the most successful this year.

The competition, sponsored by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), was held at St. Mark’s College, Namagoma. The event attracted 215 participants from 15 primary and post-primary schools.

They showed an encouraging level of enthusiasm, a situation that left UWbF executives delighted. Willy Buyondo from Ndejje Day Vocational school was champion in the boys’ event while his colleague Rose Nalubega took the girls’ crown.

Buyondo won the title with 60 strokes and Nalubega hit 57 in 12 fairways. The two players’ performance also helped their team to win the overall trophy with 548 strokes.

Buddo SS come second with 625 strokes followed by the Good School team in third position at 635.

Corporate Circuit

Besides the junior’s contest, UWbF organised the first ever Corporate Circuit which attracted a good turn up.

But the level of competition was below what the federation expected. John Baptist Kateregga lifted the men’s title after the third and final leg of the circuit. He earned a total of 54 points.

Kateregga, representing Bottlers Club, was seven points ahead of Godwin Ssengendo from Bank of Uganda (BOU) while Hillary Kimbugwe from Makerere University Business School was third at 42.

In the women’s event, BOU’s Agnes Apio was the champion with 28 points. Ndejje University’s Rose Matovu was runner-up while Doreen Katerega finished third after collecting 20 points each. The event attracted over 53 participants from seven clubs.

Elsewhere, the top lady player Lillian Zawedde maintained her dominance. The Ndejje University student produced a winning display in a number of tournaments. She started off by winning the National Open with 146 strokes in 12 fairways.

Zawedde stepped up gear by taking the Beach Circuit crown. She collected 75 points from three legs of the competition.

The winner edged Botladz Club’s Alexandria Namayo who finished second with 67 points while Ndejje Club’s Shamsa Nantege settled for third position at 63. Zawedde also carried Uganda’s flag on the international stage.

She got a bronze medal at the highly contested Hong Kong Open with 105 strokes in 24 fairways. The skilled player then headed to Singapore and Malaysia where she battled some of the world’s top stars.

But she was less fortunate, finishing outside the top ten in each of the tournaments. Away from the action, UWbF acquired a machine used in the manufacture of woodball equipment.

The machine, at the Ndejje University main campus in Luwero district, is a donation from the International Woodball Federation (IWbF). It will produce balls, mallets, gates and sticks.

UWbF president Mark Kayongo said that the manufacturing process will start next year. The official praised IWbF for the gesture, saying that the machine will be put to proper use. He said it will help his body cut down on the cost of importing equipment.