Mawa hails school sports as Uganda prepares for FEASSA

Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) athletics delegate James Mawa says the country's school sports programme has played a key role in producing athletes capable of competing successfully at regional and international levels.

Mawa said the continuous organisation of school competitions has created a strong pathway for young athletes to progress from district competitions to national, regional and global championships.

"I want to thank the Government of Uganda, ASSHU and USSSA for supporting school sports over the years. The programme has helped prepare students to compete at a much higher level than before," Mawa said.

He noted that school competitions no longer end at the national level, with talented athletes now earning opportunities to represent Uganda at the FEASSA Games and world school championships.

His remarks come as Uganda's athletics team intensifies preparations for the 2026 FEASSA Games, which will be held in Morogoro, Tanzania, from August 13 to 22.

The athletics team is currently in a residential camp at Kids Africa in Entebbe, where athletes selected during the USSSA National Athletics Championships in Gulu are undergoing final preparations before departure.

"We selected athletes from the national championships in Gulu, while football teams were selected in Lira and other disciplines from competitions held across the country. Now we are preparing them to represent Uganda in Tanzania," he said.

Mawa praised Kids Africa for providing a suitable environment for the team's preparations.

"I thank the management of Kids Africa for offering us this facility. The accommodation, training space and security have given our athletes the right environment to prepare," he said.

He added that the camp has helped players recover from injuries sustained during the national championships while gradually rebuilding their fitness.

"For the past eight days we have focused on recovery for athletes who had tired muscles and minor injuries. We are now increasing the training load as we get closer to departure," he added.

Team Uganda will be flagged off on Saturday before departing through the Busia border on Sunday. The team will stop over in Arusha on August 10 before arriving in Morogoro on August 11 ahead of the opening ceremony on August 13.

Uganda will compete in football, volleyball, basketball, netball, rugby sevens, rugby fifteens, handball, hockey, athletics, swimming, tennis, table tennis, badminton and lacrosse, among other disciplines.

The 2026 FEASSA Games are expected to attract thousands of student athletes from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, making it the biggest edition of the regional championship to date.