Nalubega was promoted by her employers after woodball World Cup

National Woodball star player Joyce Nalubega’s story in the game can be described as one that fits the adage ‘from sadness to happiness’.

The purpose of pain in life sometimes happens for a reason, and normally the attitude that you show toward the pain also helps immensely in solving the problem.

And so it was for Nalubega, a former Ndejje University and Ndejje Corporate Woodball Club player, who after the death of her father in 1994 changed her perception towards Woodball. Before she took the game as a leisure activity but after the death of her father she quickly changed her mindset after realising good performances could earn her a scholarship at Ndejje University; and as they say, the rest is history.

She was not only able to complete her education via scholarship but the sport has helped her get a rise in her current job; from a contract-based salesperson to now a permanent job with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB).

Nalubega on Monday presented her World Cup medals to the bank’s managing director Varghese Thambi alongside some employees of the bank who are now inspired to engage more in sport and to play Woodball.

This follows her recent performance with the Beach Woodball Cranes in Malaysia where Uganda’s women performed better, for the first time winning silver in the stroke competition. She also bagged the bronze with Joan Mukoova in the doubles competition on top of a team bronze in the doubles fairway event. Uganda finished fourth overall out of 12 countries.

“DTB promotes sports and games in addition to our normal baking services. Football is among other sports that we support among staff,” Thambi said.

“We have a champion and he is going to champion starting a DTB Woodball team because we engage in all the other sports activities,” Charles Masereka the DTB Coordinator of Games and Sports added.

Nalubega said the medals mean a lot in her career since they have helped her move a step in her profession.

“These medals mean a lot in my career because they have helped me move a step ahead. Since University in 2014 I have never looked back,” Nalubega noted.

“The death of my father sort of inspired me to focus much on the sport and I don’t regret it because I completed my course on a scholarship.

“I’m now going to start a DTB Woodball team because the interest is there and some staff have been following me and supporting me even as I played for the Ministry of Public Service,” Nalubega stated.

Nalubega first joined the national team in 2016 and was part of the Ugandan team that competed in the World Wooball Championships in Indonesia where she won bronze in the open category.

She also represented in the 8th Woodball World Cup in Thailand in 2018 where together with Joan Mukoova they scooped bronze in the Doubles Women Stroke Play event. She was also the star for Uganda, winning gold in the 2019 beach world cup in the fairway competition and the doubles with Denise Kakuba, in the event held in Entebbe.

The bank this year joined the corporate league and is now looking forward to joining Woodball with Nalubega spearheading the campaign.