COPA: Makenke Barracks to host matches

The Mbarara District schools sports committee has confirmed Mbarara Municipality as the host for the district schools football championship due April 8-10, but with tough guidelines in a bid to combat student violence during the games.

In a committee meeting held on Tuesday afternoon in Mbarara town and attended by head teachers of qualified schools , it was decided that, Netball, Volleyball and girls soccer matches be hosted at the usual Kakyeka, Ntare, Nyamitanga and Mbarara High School grounds, but that many of the boy's football matches be played at Makenke Army Barracks grounds.

"We do not want to have any more student violence and fights in Mbarara. The game has grown to another level, and having student fights in football shows primitive behavior. The army barracks therefore will host games between rival teams," Mbarara district schools sports official Milton Rwangire said.

Rwangire added that the committee still agreed on some other tough measures like bans and fines, on school teams and fans that will cause chaos, before Mbarara Municipality was agreed as the host.

Students of Standard High Mbarara seen with sticks and iron bars during the zonal qualifiers. Schools have been warned of such behavior. Story by Aloysius Byamukama

He said all schools whose teams have qualified for the finals, will be requested to deploy 30 teachers and 20 prefects each on their teams and students, to help Police in ensuring order during the championship.

Last year, over 8 schools in the district were involved in violence where many schools' property was vandalized while many students were injured, and during the zonal qualifiers last week, there were violent scenes in Zone C and Zone A, where police had to intervene with tear gas.

Mbarara High, Ntare School, Welden School, Sentah College, Western College, Nyakayojo and St Patrick's, are among the schools that will be tussling it out for slots to the Ankole region championship.