Sports minister Ogwang directs on extracurricular activities in schools

Dominant Gulu district became the champions of the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Associations (USSSA) Ball Games II athletics champions after collecting both men’s and Women’s trophies as the week-long championship climaxed at Dr. Obote College Boroboro, Lira on Sunday.

Athletics which is among the 10 disciplines in the collection for secondary schools ball games and competed for by districts, not schools, saw Gulu win both the men and women categories for a collective sum of 326 points.

St. Katherine won Rugby 7s silver medal

They, therefore, walked home with three trophies and three different gold medals, while Kitgum and Wakiso came 2nd and 3rd respectively and Kween district which had won both boys and girls cross country, could only settle in 5th place with 59 points behind Tororo who came 4th on 144 points.

In other disciplines, St Mary’s Kitende retained the netball crown after edging arch rivals and FEASSSA games queen St Noa 18-17 in a tough encounter that saw St Noa pull out a second-half 5 goals deficit to almost win their first national accolade.

It was the same in boys volleyball where Standard High Zzana also retained the title after having beaten debutant finalists Namugongo Vocational 3-1 with Buremba SS settling for bronze with a 2-0 win over first-timers and O’level side St Augustine Minor seminary Ntungamo.

The girls' accolade went to St Elizabeth girls Mbarara, who beat holders Trust High 3-1 to become the first champions between dominant Trust High and Kinawa.

Dynamic SS won the boys’ handball title after easily beating Gombe SS 35-21 with Kakungulu Memorial settling for bronze while Kawanda beat defending champions Kibuli SS to take home the girls' gold with Mbogo High settling for third place.

Rugby champions Hana International

The closing ceremony was presided over by new state minister for sports Peter Ogwang and also attended by the ministry of education and sports permanent secretary Ketty Lamaro, commissioner physical education, and sports Rev Can Duncans Mugumya, National Council of Sports (NCS) general secretary Bernard Ogwal, national advisor on sports development Gunter Lange, USSSA executive led by president Justus Mugisha and the entire Lira City religious and political leadership.

In his address, minister Ogwang, officiating his first sports activity after his new appointment, promised continued government support for the sports sector and its continued development.

“I come into the office when sports in Uganda is taking a remarkable step and I will continue with the good work of my predecessor and my office is open, please come and we work together for the betterment of sports in our country,” Ogwang said.

Volleyball queens St. Elizabeth

The minister went further to lash out at school administrators who shun extracurricular activities yet it’s part of the education curriculum in Uganda and directed USSSA to list the participating schools in the country for a start.

“Physical education and sports in part of our school curriculum, however, we are not satisfied with the level of its implementation in many schools. We, therefore, request USSSA to generate and submit to the ministry, the list of all secondary schools that participate in sports at various levels starting with the district competitions,” Ogwang said.

“Why am I saying this? I am here because these (schools) are the foundation, the basis of sports development in our country for if we don’t have such competitions then we have no athletes that will be able to represent the country at the international level. I hope I am talking.”

He hailed USSSA for the good work and congratulated Uganda upon having won the last held 2019 FEASSSA games in Arusha, Tanzania, and wished the athletes success at the 2022 regional games again to be hosted in Arusha next month.

Ogwang, together with world and commonwealth steeplechase gold medalist Docus Inzikuru, then spared some time to give encouraging words to the selected team of Uganda athletes to represent at the FEASSSA games.

The three top teams in each category volleyball, handball, and Rugby 7s boy qualified for the FEASSSA games together with all the semifinalists in netball but woodball, girls rugby 7s, football U16, basketball 3x3, and dance sport, are yet to be incorporated into the regional games.

Other teams in basketball, girls football, racket games (table tennis, badminton, and tennis), rugby 15s, and boys football already qualified from the USSSA ball games I held in Gulu and Arua in April.

USSSA Athletics results-Women

Gulu          154pts

Kitgum       149pts

Wakiso          75pts

Men

Gulu              172pts

Wakiso           80pts

Tororo            70pts

Overall Winners

Gulu               326pts

Kitgum           212pts

Wakiso           155pts

Girls’ volleyball final

St Elizabeth 3 Trust 1

Third Place

Kinawa 3 Katikamu 0

Finals boys

Standard High 3 Namugongo 1

Third place

Buremba 2 St Augustine 0

Handball-Girls

Kawanda-Gold

Kibuli-Silver

Mbogo High-Bronze

Finals

Kawanda

Boys Final

Dynamic 35 Gombe 21

Third place-Kakungulu Memorial

Netball Finals

Kitende 18 St Noa 17

Third Place

Buddo-Bronze

Football U16 boys final

Standard High Zzana 0 (8) Buddo SS 0 (7)

Third place

Bulworth 0 (8) Royal Giants 0 (7)

Football U16-Girls

Kawempe-Gold

Boni Consilii-Silver

Jinja SS-Bronze

Woodball girls

Luzira SS-Gold

Our Lady of Africa Namugongo-Silver

Kijjabwemi SS-Bronze

Boys

Luzira SS-Gold

Airforce Entebbe-Silver

Mengo SS-Bronze

Basketball 3x3-Girls

St Mary’s Kitende-Gold

Buddo SS-Silver

Nabisunsa Girls-Bronze

Boys

Buddo SS-Gold

Hope Biira-Silver

Janan-Bronze