Rampant Uganda retained the FEASSSA games' overall title as the regional schools' games climaxed in the hosting Tanzania city of Arusha on Friday.

Uganda staged determined participation and competition at all fronts with a team in all the 14 finals save for girls' volleyball, where the representatives; St Elizabeth, Hilton High, and Katikamu SDA never went past the group stages.

Uganda’s dominance was visible from the first day as all Ugandan sides won their opening games including disciplines such as rugby and hockey, where Uganda has always been seen chasing Kenya's shadows.

By the final count, Uganda was far top on 18 gold medals with record winners Kenya coming 2nd on a surprising 5 while Rwanda had 2 and hosts Tanzania didn’t record any gold medals.

Uganda was declared overall winners and handed the biggest accolade, after coming top with 18 gold, 10 silver, and 13 bronze for a total of 41 medals compared to Kenya’s 5 gold, 12 silver, and 3 bronze for 20 medals, Rwanda with 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze for 6 while hosts Tanzania got 1 silver and 5 bronze in Uganda’s comfortable sweep and second overall title in 20 years.

Uganda gold medalists were Kibuli and St Noa in boys and girls football, Buddo both boys basketball 3x3 and 5x5, Kitende both girls basketball titles in addition to netball, Kakungulu Memorial with girls and boys hockey, Namilyango and Hana International winning rugby 15s and 7s respectively, Kibuli winning badminton and table tennis boys, Mbogo High with badminton and table tennis girls, Kibuli winning boys’ tennis, team Uganda boys swimming and team Uganda girls clinching athletics.

Uganda celebration was only the 3rd in 20 years, having won only the second title in the 2019 edition hosted in the same city and the first in 2012 hosted in Burundi, but this kind of range over Kenya had never been recorded not even by Kenya.

Uganda's early preparations amidst the post covid effects

The covid pandemic crippled sports progress the world over and when the situation started getting better and countries lessened the lockdowns and other covid protocols, Uganda joined the rest to allow events into action.

Early this year, the Uganda government through the ministry of Education and sports, then cleared the coming back of schools into sports activities which started with the resumption of zonal championships in February until the national championships between June and August, as earlier had been the arrangement.

However, while Uganda was busy preparing teams and schools competing for honours, competitions in other nations in the region had not started.

Only Tanzania, who came in as hosts after5 Kenya pulled out, started preparing their activities and readying teams, and no wonder that they put up a strong challenge in athletics and primary school games.

It’s no wonder that Burundi and South Sudan did not send athletes to this year’s edition, having been hard hit by the pandemic effects.

Kenya elections and the eventual withdrawal of hosting rights

Kenya had been named host of the 2020 edition and even when it could not take place because of the pandemic, Kenya remained the host of the edition that would follow after the situation normalized.

It then became impossible for the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) to keep the hosting rights, after the confirmed 2022 edition coincided with the Kenya presidential elections.

This forced KSSSA to withdraw sighting uncertain post-election situation in Kenya, and the rights Tanzania got up with both hands.

Kenya only held their national qualifiers in Nakuru, to select the national representatives, only two days before the start of the games in Arusha.

Government and Uganda’s whooping 990 athletes

The Uganda government continued its support to the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Associations (USSSA) by paying half of the dues for the teams that qualify for FEASSSA.

This year’s edition was met with more demanding financial challenges like covid tests, and yellow fever vaccinations which were all met by the government, in addition, to fully dressing up the athletes and officials plus the participation fees contributions.

It’s no wonder that Uganda had the biggest contingent of 990 athletes fully competing in all the 14 disciplines compared to Kenya’s 670, Tanzania’s 250, and 150 from Rwanda.

This gave Uganda a chance to dominate in every activity and they did not win, they came second for silver.

Participation in ISF games

Even when the pandemic had crippled events including school events, the International School Sports Federation (ISF) resumed activities when several countries in the world opened up but in a cautious way.

Uganda saw the light and the Uganda government facilitated the outing of the USSSA athletes first in the U-15 ISF championships in Belgrade and this year’s U18 edition in Normandy, France, while none of the regional countries sent athletes, apart from Tanzania sent 5 in Normandy, it’s the reason they performed well in athletics.

Even when Uganda competed in 6 of the 19 disciplines, the exposure helped the country a lot, especially in swimming, table tennis, badminton, and especially athletics as evidenced by eventual MVP in Arusha, Rajab Ibrahim’s double win in 100m and 200m, Christine Nyawere double 100m and 200m and a 4x4 relay gold.

The next edition of the 2023 games hosts has been announced for Bujumbura, Burundi, where Uganda won her first overall title, and whether Uganda retains this for the 3rd consecutive time remains between preparation and focus by USSSA and individual school teams.

Who are Uganda Gold medal winners

Football-Boys-Kibuli SS

Girls-St Noa

Basketbal-Boys-Buddo SS

Girls-St Mary’s Kitende

Basketball 3x3-Boys-Buddo SS

Girls- St Mary’s Kitende

Hockey-Boys-Kakungulu Memorial

Girls-Kakungulu Memorial

Netball-St Mary’s Kitende

Rugby 7s-Hana International

Rugby 15s-Namilyango College

Table Tennis-Boys-Kibuli SS

Girls-Mbogo High

Badminton-Boys-Kibuli SS

Girls-

Tennis Boys-Kibuli SS

Swimming-Boys-Uganda

Athletics-Girls-Uganda