Three selected for Africa Senior Championships in Mauritius

The Uganda Weightlifting Federation (UWF) has officially announced a three-member team to represent the country at the upcoming Africa Senior Weightlifting Championships in Mauritius.

The team includes two female athletes, Aisha Namataka (68kg) and Swabula Mutesi (59kg), alongside team captain Davis Niyoyita (61kg), the sole male representative.

The squad will be led by national team coach Khasim Nsubuga, who expressed optimism about their chances at the continental competition. The team was finalized after a rigorous selection process held at Kasubi Physique Gym, where three athletes emerged victorious from a pool of seven candidates who had advanced from the initial qualification event.

Unfortunately, four athletes—Davis Katende (73kg), Muzamiru Bukenya (73kg), Stephen Ojede (96kg), and Kivumbi Najib (55kg)—did not make the final cut. Their exclusion highlights the competitive nature of the selection process and the federation’s commitment to fielding only the best representatives.

UWF Vice President for Technical Affairs, Ali Kavuma, stressed the importance of discipline among the selected athletes, issuing a stern warning against misconduct.

“The most pressing issue we face now is the indiscipline of players selected for the national team. I assure all athletes that indiscipline will take you nowhere. If you cannot be disciplined, I’m sorry, but we have no place for you,” Kavuma stated firmly.

Despite the challenges, Coach Nsubuga remains confident in his team’s potential. He praised the federation for providing female weightlifters with a platform to showcase their talents on the continental stage.

“With the ample time we have, we are going to train harder. We will focus on improving fitness levels, and hopefully, we will perform better than we did last year,” Nsubuga said optimistically.

The Africa Senior Weightlifting Championships, scheduled for April 20–28 in Moka, Mauritius, offers Uganda’s lifters a valuable opportunity to gain experience and improve their continental rankings. Last year, Uganda clinched a bronze medal through Lydia Nakidde at the championships held in Egypt.

As the team prepares for the competition, the focus remains on discipline, hard work, and the pursuit of excellence, with hopes of bringing home more accolades for Uganda.