Team Uganda is set to travel to Kenya to participate in the 17th edition of the East, Central, and South Africa Championships (ECASA).

This was revealed today to the New Vision by the president of the Scrabble Association of Uganda, Nelson Woira Kyagera, during an interview at the Association’s office in Jinja City. 

Kyagera said that twenty-three players of Team Uganda will join other teams and compete in the three days tournament expected to start on April 7 to April 9. The tournament has attracted teams from Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, and Uganda, guest players from Liberia and Nigeria as well as hosts Kenya. 

Kyagera said that the 23 players from Team Uganda participated in the last qualifiers that were held in Mbarara and qualified for the ECASA tournament. 

He said Team Uganda will be flagged off by the general secretary National Council of Sports (NCS) Dr. Patrick Bernard Ogwel, in Kampala on April 5 and has been sponsored by the (NCS) despite the Scrabble Association of Uganda being short of corporate sponsorship. 

He applauded the Government through NCS for supporting the Scrabble Association in organizing various qualifier tournaments in the Country and called upon corporate companies to join the Government's efforts in supporting Scrabble in the Country. 

Kyagera who was elected president of the Scrabble Association of Uganda in 2021 said that Team Uganda includes Uganda’s top seeds Dr. Edgar Odongkara, Richard Geria, Ivan Ssentongo, and Dr. Chris Ntege among others who are expected to put up a brave fight against their opponents that include Team Kenya. 

According to Dr. Chris Ntege, the team Captain, said Team Uganda comprises four ladies and sixteen men plus three officials who are also players. 

“Residential training is being conducted where individual players are acquiring techniques and we are going to do our last training this Saturday at The Hub in Bugolobi,” Ntege told Newvision in a phone interview. 

Ntege said the least they expect is to bring home a Silver medal though they are aiming for the first position. 

Uganda’s scrabble top seed, Dr. Edgar Odongkara said he has been doing some tough games to practice for the ECASA championships. 

“Last weekend I won the qualifiers game in Mbarara and I have a very good chance to win the ECASA championship which has never been won in Uganda before,” Odongkara said in a phone interview.         

Last year, Kenya’s top scrabble player Allan Oyende won the 2022 East, Central, and Southern Africa Scrabble Championship that was held at the Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja City and he is back to defend his title.