Mentor Schools crowned Champions at 2025 USSSA Lango Zonal games

Mentor Schools emerged victorious in the 2025 Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) Lango Zonal games, concluded on Saturday at Ambalal Primary School playgrounds in Lira City.

Mentor Section Secondary School and St. Mary Magdalene Campus were awarded regional trophies as champions in the boys' and girls' categories, respectively.

In the boys' final, Mentor SS, a Lira City-based school, defeated Wisdom High School from Kole District 1-0 in a tightly contested match. A first-half header proved decisive, with Wisdom unable to equalize despite relentless efforts. Earlier, Mentor St. Mary Magdalene Campus triumphed 3-1 over Acaba Senior Secondary School (Oyam District) in the girls' final, cementing their dominance in the regional tournament.

Sam Bob Okino, Chairperson of the Lango Secondary School Head Teachers Association, confirmed that five teams will represent the zone at the national USSSA tournament in Bukedea. The selected teams are Acaba SS and Mentor St. Magdalene (girls), alongside Mentor SS, Wisdom High School, and Lira Town College (boys). Okino praised the discipline displayed by participants and called for partners to support the teams, noting the financial strain of organizing zonal events.

Francis Bifola, USSSA Executive Member for the Northern Region, urged the qualifiers to intensify training ahead of the nationals, emphasizing the opportunity to advance to the East African Games in Kakamega, Kenya.

The closing ceremony, graced by Health Minister and Lira City Woman MP Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, saw the minister laud the players' skills, comparing their dribbling and defending to "English teams." Dr. Aceng donated Sh2 million to the regional teams and rallied fellow leaders to bolster support for their national campaign.