The growing woodball rivalry between Uganda and Kenya manifested itself as the inaugural edition of the Ndejje Corporate Woodball Championship at the Makerere University Business School ground.

Kenyatta University’s David Mungai who was playing for Taifa put on a great show against Israel Muwanguzi in the fairway competition final, putting Uganda’s fans on tenterhooks but Muwanguzi prevailed winning the event 6-2 against the Kenyan.

UWbF president Mark Kayongo (right) crowns the Ndejje Corporate Woodball women team and those of Eminents club (left) after the Ndejje Corporate Woodball Championships at MUBS

Eminents Woodball Club’s Muwanguzi was in devastating form over the two days of competition, scooping the singles, fairway competition, team events, and doubles stroke event to pick four gold and the presidential award (sh100, 000/-) that goes to the best player at every woodball outing.

“My game was very good in this competition and I took gold in four categories and I’m happy I have performed to my potential,” Muwanguzi said.

“It was a perfect payback to Mungai who tormented the Ugandans during the African championships in Nairobi. It was tough in Nairobi because they had numbers and they knew their course better and I lost before the finals, so today I had to settle the grudge by winning this final.

Eminents players celebrate winning the Ndejje Corporate Woodball Championship

“Having got the lead, I was not under much pressure like he was so I forced him into errors and he was taking too many risks to score but he was playing catch up and eventually lost. I won 6-2 and we drew on two fairways,” Muwanguzi stated.

Even after the defeat, Mungai was still upbeat saying: “It has been an awesome experience, a very tough one also but I thank God for the amazing experience,”.

“The game against Muwanguzi was a tough one just like the quarter-finals and the semifinals ones but I tried my best but things didn’t go my way.

“I was sure of getting some balls through but they all went sideways from angles that were difficult to score from. The course was perfect but I played a lot of games and I think I was tired,” Mungai said.

The patron Ndejje Corporate Woodball Club patron Mark Kayongo noted that the level of competition exhibited was a sign that the sport has gained popularity in the East African region.

“Considering the kind of competition we have seen today, you can see that the sport is becoming more prominent because of the competition exhibited by the visiting Kenyan players. We are going to build on this to ensure the sport continues to grow even in other parts of the continent,” Kayongo said

He called on other clubs to emulate Ndejje by organizing similar events which are well attended and competitive. He said UWbF was not going to rest until the sport is popularized throughout the country.

The event was sponsored by Ndejje University, Hema Water, Kwela, Higher Education Students Financing Board, UWbF, and M

Selected results

Men's Singles

Israel Muwanguzi (Eminents) 133 strokes

Joel Adupa (Eminents} 143

David Mungai (Taifa) 144­­

Women Singles

Christine Birungi 145

Sophia Namuddu 153

Jackie Naula 154

Fairway competition

Women

Rose Sandra Nabaggala (NCWC)

Florence Mukoova (MUBS)

Jackie Naula (MUBS)

Lillian Zawedde (NCWC)

Men

Israel Muwanguzi (Eminents)

David Mungai (Taifa)

Team event-Men

Eminents 381

Prisons 388

Stroke 403

Women

NCWC 420

MUBS 438

Eminents 445