UPDF men, Police women maintain unbeaten run in Handball Super League
UPDF put up a spirited fight, beating rivals and former champions Prisons 26-25 in a mouth-watering game at Old Kampala Arena on Saturday.
UPDF's Abasi Mwanje in action against Police at Old Kampala. PHOTO: Johnson Were
Handball Super League results
Men
Prisions 25 Updf 26
Wanainch 32 Makerere 37
Women
Nkajja 28 Wanainch 25,
Police 32 Prisons 26,
Kawanda 49 Kyengeza 39
Police women's handball team and Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) men are on course to defend their titles, having ended the first round of the Handball National Super League unbeaten.
UPDF put up a spirited fight, beating rivals and former champions Prisons 26-25 in a mouth-watering game at Old Kampala Arena on Saturday.
Victor Obedmoth was on top form, scoring a game-high 10 goals as the prison warders led the first half 17-11 but squandered the six-point lead in the second half.
UPDF goalkeeper Gerald Pirwoth was UPDF's hero as he saved four penalties in the second half, giving his teammates the motivation to fight back and overturn the six-point deficit.
Felix Mukunzi and Daniel Comboni scored six goals each, while Medard Twine managed five for the Bombo-based side to narrowly edge Prisons 26-25 in an exciting and competitive game.
Coach Patrick Odora was excited that his charges finished the first leg unbeaten and said that they will return to the drawing board to prepare for the second leg.
"It was a tough game and thank God we emerged victorious. Our target is to defend the title. We shall go back to the drawing board to address our weak areas because it is still too early to celebrate," Odora said.
Collins Twinamasiko and Amos Abesigamukama scored five goals each for Prisons, while Obedmoth scored 10.
In the other men's games played, Wanainch lost to Makerere 32-37.
In the women's category, Police maintained their unbeaten run with a 32-26 win over Prisons as Nkajja outsmarted Wanainch 25-28 and Kawanda beat Kyengeza 49-39.
Patricia Arago scored nine goals, Ritah Recho added seven, and Royce Namutosi scored five for Police.
Police coach Aziz Yakub is impressed by the girls' performance, which he said gives him confidence that he will win the title for the sixth consecutive year.