Gazelles, Kukundakwe headline Real Stars July Awards

Uganda's 3x3 basketball team and Husnah Kukundakwe each secured silver medals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, representing significant achievements for Team Uganda and improving the country's standing on the medal table.

These accomplishments were celebrated nationally and internationally and recognised by the Fortebet Real Stars Awards during their monthly ceremony at Nanjing Restaurant on Tuesday.

The Gazelles, represented by Melissa Akullu, Jane Asinde, and Perus Nyamwenge, received their award in person, while Irene Nabisenke from the National Paralympic Committee accepted Kukundakwe's accolade on her behalf.

Archer Precious Allan Asiimwe and rally driver Hassan Alwi were also honoured for winning Uganda's first gold medal at the African Archery Championships and for their victory at the inaugural Soroti-Katakwi Rally, which extended their National Rally Championship lead.

Former FIFA referee Catherine Adipo received a lifetime achievement award for her pioneering role as the first female referee from the CECAFA region and for inspiring many women in officiating.

Asinde expressed gratitude for being the first 3x3 basketball team to compete at the Commonwealth Games and to return with a medal. "This shows how much Uganda appreciates us and how much recognition we have put in our country. It's always a great opportunity to be recognised by Uganda. It's a great feeling. We are proud as the Gazelles for having been able to be the ones to do it," Asinde said.

"We consistently put in the work, and we thank God for getting us through those hard moments when we felt like quitting." Akullu added, "It is really an honour to be recognised; it really makes us excited and proud, and most especially to keep us going because we now know there are people back home rooting for us. We also want to thank everyone involved, including the government for looking after us very well."

Para archer Asiimwe claimed the men's para recurve title at the 15th edition of the continental competition in Oran, Algeria, making him Uganda's first African champion in archery and marking a major milestone for the country's growing para sports movement.

"I'm really honoured to have received this award. It's a truly wonderful thing, and it means a great deal to me, my family, and our entire region, the Western region. This award will really boost everyone's confidence in us. Firstly, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Real Sports for Tibet for choosing me as an award winner this month. I truly appreciate the effort you put into selecting these athletes and honouring us. It's a huge encouragement for sports," Asiimwe stated.

Adipo said she wanted to prove a point that women also can when she joined refereeing. "When I joined refereeing, it was basically a male-dominated sport, and you had to be as good as, maybe even better than, the men; you had to be very organised," Adipo said. "But maybe I'm a tomboy, as people say, being born in a family of boys. It's not surprising that in school I played football; then, of course, I joined refereeing because, basically, I'm more comfortable with the male gender than the female."

"It's not easy to be recognised. Those of us who have been recognised should be proud of ourselves. Usually, people just see us and leave, but we'd like to thank Fortebet for the motivation and recognition, and I'm sure it will go a long way in inspiring the young ones to join our respective disciplines. But, of course, we emphasise integrity, fitness, and performance," Adipo stated.