Sacred Heart Girls in final preparations to host USSSA National Ball Games
The ten-day national event, scheduled to run from July 7 to 18 in Gulu City, Northern Uganda, will bring together 6,480 girls, 4,430 boys, and 1,090 officials from schools across the 19 USSSA operating zones in the country.
Basketball courts have been prepared for the national competitions scheduled for July in Gulu
As the countdown continues for the 2026 Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) National Ball Games Two and Athletics, Sacred Heart Girls' SS, the host of the prestigious competitions, is in the final stages of preparation ahead of the championship.
The ten-day national event, scheduled to run from July 7 to 18 in Gulu City, Northern Uganda, will bring together 6,480 girls, 4,430 boys, and 1,090 officials from schools across the 19 USSSA operating zones in the country.
Hellen Lamunu, headteacher of Sacred Heart Girls' SS, spoke to Vision Sport about the successful progress of the preparations, stating that the school is finalising track and field line marking, which is 98% complete.
"For now, we are ready for the championship. The gaps that were identified during the second and final inspection of the facilities by Ministry of Education and Sports officials, in collaboration with the USSSA secretariat and the local organising committee, have been worked upon and are ready for use," Lamunu said.
"We feel honoured and excited that the Ministry of Education and Sports, in partnership with USSSA, has trusted us to host the national championship. It is a great opportunity for learners to showcase their talents while the community benefits commercially," she added.
According to Lamunu, hosting a national event will not only promote sports but also strengthen community engagement and inspire young athletes across the Acholi sub-region.
She said that during the championship, female participants will be accommodated at Sacred Heart Girls' SS, while male participants will stay at Gulu High School.
"We have already prepared all playing venues within Gulu City, where spectators will be able to watch and transact business throughout the competition," Lamunu noted.
Christopher Mugisha, CEO of USSSA, said athletes will compete in 25 sports disciplines, including beach volleyball, rugby, golf, cricket, netball, handball, basketball, dance sport, woodball, lacrosse, CAF U15 football, chess, ludo, scrabble, futsal, baseball, softball, athletics, and cross country.
Mugisha added that the association intends to have students showcase their talents in golf, kabaddi, kho kho, pickleball, and cricket, which will be competed as demonstration games.