Gateball schools tournament in the offing

Apr 09, 2019

Primary and secondary school sports and games teachers have already gone through the theoretical part of the game.

 
The Uganda Gateball Union (UGU) will in the near future organise a national Gateball schools tournament after training 68 games teachers from Butambala District schools in the basic rules and scoring in the game at Gombe SS on Friday.
 
After going through theoretical lectures for about four hours, excitement gripped the primary and secondary school sports and games teachers as they went through practical lessons with each one of them eager to try out the 5-aside mallet team sport.
 
According to Uganda Gateball Union (UGU) president Robert Bakaze introductory lessons are going to continue across the country with their next destination being Arua.
 
"After this one-day certification course, they can now be able to introduce the game to their students because they have received all the basics," Bakaze said.
 
"The equipment is a bit expensive and all we have at the moment are donations from Japan but we plan to start manufacturing some of the equipment from here to make it cheaper," Bakaze stated.
 
After the training, Gombe SS received an assortment of Gateball equipment from the UGU handed over by, Shima Naoyuki, the Coordinator for Economic Cooperation-Embassy of Japan in Uganda.
 
"I was in Japan recently and they told me they were working on sending more equipment here and sending an expert to continue promoting Gateball activities in the country. We are trying our best to support the UGU in starting a league," Naoyuki stated.
 
The District Sports Officer Mustafa Nsubuga welcome the initiative and said the sport will open more opportunities for people to engage in sport.
 
Last year the UGU received Gateball equipment worth sh70m from the Japan-based World Gateball Union, aimed at spreading the sport countrywide.
 
Founded in 1947, Gateball is a mallet team sport (5-aside); fast-paced, non-contact, highly strategic team game, which can be played by anyone regardless of age or gender. It is played on a rectangular court 20 metres long and 15 metres wide.
 
 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});