The two-year sports hiatus due to COVID-19 is finally over and the light at the end of the tunnel can now be seen.

With the Ministry of Education and Sports having given the resumption of sports competitions in schools the go-ahead, and a circular having been sent out to all schools in regard to this, the secondary school sports fraternity now has every reason to smile.

The event organised by Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) and attracts only the top 8 teams in football, netball, volleyball and basketball, was last played in 2020.

And now first on the 2022 school sports calendar is the Elite Schools Sports Championships that have been scheduled to take place between the 25th and 27th of this month at St Mary’s SS Kitende.

USSSA president Patrick Okanya says the tournament was conceived to give the school teams a feel of the new season and also encourage competition.

“We have been holding this event as a curtain-raiser to the major national championships and also arouse competition at a national level as school teams will always tussle it out for these top positions so as to make the elite mark,” Okanya said.

He said since its inception, the high competition has enabled Uganda to perform well at regional games and that it is no wonder that Uganda is the reigning FEASSSA games champions after winning the last edition held in 2019 in Arusha, Tanzania.

Minister Hamson Obua admires one of the trophies won at the 2019 FEASSSA games in Arusha, where Uganda emerged overall winners. Photo by Aloysius Byamukama

The elite teams set to take part include defending boys’ football champions St Mary’s Kitende, Jinja SS, Buddo SS, Standard High Zzana, Bulo Parents, Royal Giants, St Henry’s College Kitovu and Jinja Progressive.

Defending girls’ winners Kawempe Muslim battle St Noa Girls, Mukono High, Gadaffi Integrated, Uganda Martyrs Rubaga, Pride Mixed SS and Buhoobe SS.

Basketball boys has defending champions Buddo SS, Kibuli SS, Seroma Christian High School, Ndejje SS, Light Academy, Namilyango College, Mbogo Mixed and Hope Nakirebe

St Mary’s Kitende are the defending champions of the girls’ basketball and will battle St Noa Girls, Buddo SS, Nabisunsa Girls, Hope Biira, Exodus College, Crane High and Maryhill High School

In boys’ volleyball, Standard High Zzana, Mbogo Mixed, Dynamic SS, Kinaawa SS Kawempe, Buremba SS, Merryland HS, Iganga Parents and Ubuntu Hill SS while the girls are Trust High, Kinaawa SS, St Elizabeth Mbarara, St Bridget Girls, Lubaga Girls, Iganga SS, Maryhill HS and Iganga Parents will do battle.

Netball has St Mary’s Kitende, St Noa, Buddo SS, Ngando SS, Baptist High, Kawanda SS, Mukono SS and Masaka SS.