Record 6,142 athletes compete as UPSSA Kids and SNE Championship opens

The Uganda Primary Schools Sports Association (UPSSA) National Kids and Special Needs Education (SNE) Athletics Championship was officially opened on Thursday at a ceremony held at King George Grounds in Tororo Municipality, Eastern Uganda.

The event began with a parade by primary school athletes, who marched from Rockview Primary School through Tororo Municipal main street and back to King George Stadium, assisted by traffic police and a local brass band.

Speaking at the event, William Bwambale, the UPSSA President, applauded local governments for taking keen interest in primary school games.

According to Bwambale, this edition of the national championship has recorded the highest turnout in its history, with Tororo hosting the largest number of participating districts, cities, estates, and municipalities.

“I want to say that this time, we have managed to bring together a total of 170 local governments, giving us 6,142 athletes and 1,250 officials who have turned up for the competition,” Bwambale narrated.

He added that out of the 6,142 athletes, 3,411 are boys and 2,731 are girls, competing in the U-12 and U-14 age categories.

Tororo Municipal Town Clerk, Ayub Kisubi Alkwani, who gave remarks at the opening ceremony, welcomed visitors to the municipality and thanked the ministry through UPSSA for choosing Tororo as the host of the championship.

“You are most welcome to Tororo district and city for this memorable competition. Sports promote unity and are also a major source of income for athletes worldwide,” he said.

Rev. Canon Duncan Mugumya, the Commissioner for Physical Education and Sports at the Ministry of Education and Sports, raised concern over the continued neglect of sports in some districts and schools across Uganda.

“The government of Uganda has done its best to ensure districts receive funds for sports, but instead of allocating the money for the designated purpose, some Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) divert the funds for their own interests,” said Mugumya.

He also reaffirmed the Ministry’s zero-tolerance policy on ineligible players, warning that any school caught violating the rules would face consequences. Mugumya emphasized the critical role of sports in holistic education and urged schools to treat sports with the same importance as academic programs.

The competition runs from May 4 to 14 and has brought together 5,741 young athletes, including those under Special Needs Education (SNE). They are showcasing their talents in various track and field events such as the 60m sprint, long jump, javelin, shot put, and the 4x1500m relay, divided into the U-12 and U-14 age brackets.