For four weeks from mid-April, fourteen women’s teams from the Eastern, Central and Northern regions bounced back to competitive rugby after over a year on the sidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ladies were putting their bodies on the line and showcasing their skills during the Regional 10s rugby tournaments.

It was exciting back-to-back-to-back action from the ladies over three rounds in their respective regions.

Blue Whales and Black Pearls were overall champions from the three rounds in the Central region. Kitgum Queens and Mbale Eagles made a clean sweep of the Northern and Eastern regions respectively.

The two tiers in which the Central Regional championship was played were extremely competitive but it is the second that stole the shine from their seniors. Most of the girls from Blue Whales, Black Diamonds, Lady Swans, Ewes and Acholi Quarters Rugby Academy were playing in their first ever competitive rugby matches, and express themselves did they.

This brought back a feeling of hope and promise of a bright future for the game that is on a revival process in the country.

These tournaments were timely in the post COVID-19 era as the women continue their rise back to the top ranks of the sport in Africa.

Forty three of the top performers from the three rounds of the three regional championships were called up for national team training that has since begun with a week-long camp in Jinja City ahead of the international window.

In March 2020, the doors to rugby were slammed shut in the faces of all – players and fans alike – by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Stadiums, pitches, gyms and tracks closed as the situation looked unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

Close to a year later, in February 2021, life was breathed into the sport with the announcement of a return-to-rugby tournament for the top tier men’s premier league. Ten teams would take part in a new single leg round robin tournament in which the winner at the end of the nine match days would take it all.

And it was Kobs Rugby Club that took it all. Literally and in every sense of the word. Having added skilled and experienced players to their already strong arsenal, Kobs were unstoppable as they marched undefeated to their first league title since 2016.

In second place was defending champions Heathens and close by in third place were Black Pirates, both of whom had a realistic mathematical chance at winning the title going into the final matchday.

Jinja Hippos were best of the rest in fourth place as they assumed control of the mid table. Coach Robert Seguya’s boys played an exciting brand of rugby led by top points scorer captain Maxwell Ebonga.

The midfield was completed by Buffaloes and Mongers who blew hot and cold through the season, and Rhinos who began their recovery after narrowly surviving relegation last year. Impis tied on points with Rhinos and went another place up the log in their second season after promotion.

There was no relegation for the season. However, Warriors and Rams were tied on points in the bottom two relegation zone. Warriors had no bonus point but got one win against Rams who only collected losing bonus points.

It was a short yet thrilling tournament for both the players and fans who had longed for the beautiful sport to return after close to a year on the sidelines.

KCCA FC and MTN Uganda have partnered to rename the Uganda Premier League club’s stadium to “MTN Omondi Stadium, Home of Legends.”

The deal was signed with an undisclosed amount of funding attached to it with a goal of honoring the legacy of Phillip Omondo, the late footballer who dedicated his life to football.

Philip Omondi played for local side Kampala City Council FC (currently KCCA FC) from 1973 to 1979, when he moved to the United Arab Emirates to join Sharjah.

Omondi played for the Uganda national football team at the 1974, 1976 and 1978 African Cup of Nations, where he was the leading goal-scorer, in the tournament that Uganda finished second.

The naming rights partnership was signed to last 10 years and KCCA Lord Mayor expounded on it more in a press conference at the Stadium’s media section.

“The relationship we have enjoyed for some good time, and this time we are taking it a notch higher. This is a huge milestone in the development of local soccer. We thank MTN very much and for also promoting our brand. We have a dream of being number one and we are realizing that dream.

“Each organ at the club functions with minimum contradiction. I am proud of the club. As the patron, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to MTN for the contribution. This is yet another big stride in the direction we want to go.

“There are two key issues we want to resolve. The first is maintenance and support for our boys. The other thing is the facilities. We are not doing well as a country in terms of facilities.”

He added; “There is a lot that is required for us to upgrade our stadium to the best standards. We are grateful for the partnership that will help us improve the standards.”

MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer Somdev Sen revealed he wanted the Stadium to be one of the re-known facilities in Africa.

“We are going to rename the stadium as MTN Omondi Stadium. This stadium needs to grow. Can we name the stadium such that everyone in Africa can say ‘this is the stadium’.

“I know KCCA FC management is dreaming to make it the best, that’s why we are naming it MTN Omondi Stadium.”

MTN Uganda has rewarded Ugandan long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei ahead of his 10,000m world record assault in Valencia.

Cheptegei smashed Kenenisa Bekele’s long-standing record to become the world record holder in the 5000m with a time 12:35.36 during the Monaco Diamond League meet.

MTN Uganda rewarded him with a token of appreciation totaling over 123 million shillings, coupled with niceties of 12:35:36 GB bundles every year.

The event that was graced by MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Wim Vanhelleputte, and Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) President Dominic Otuchet unfolded at Mbale Resort Hotel.

Otuchet lauded Cheptegei for being a unique person before promising to extend more support in his future competitions as an athlete.

“Joshua set a new world record of 12:35:36 seconds. These are remarkable achievements during lockdown, at a time he hadn’t taken part in any engagements. Joshua is a special person. We are proud of him. Joshua is not done yet.

“Even as we speak now, he is preparing for another race. Joshua will be going for the World record in the half marathon. Before the lockdown, he had planned to break it but the event was postponed. That record is going to fall.”

He added; “Because of Joshua and his teammates we are now respected here and outside. Long Live MTN, Long Live Uganda.”

Vanhelleputte shared his personal history in athletics before calling Cheptegei the face of the brand MTN and UAF are building for the world to know.

“I was also an athlete when I was 15 years old. I managed to do it once but this gentleman has done it more than once. Athletics/running in particular is all about time,” Wim revealed.

“The world record has lasted for 16-years and I just wanted to invite our journalists to appreciate Joshua. This is like Uganda Cranes winning the AFCON. When you look at Kenya, Ethiopia and Jamaica, they are exporting a brand.

“When you look at not only Joshua but the wider community, I think Uganda is building a brand. Joshua is the face of the brand. We are building up a brand and I would really love Uganda to be known all over the world.

“Looking forward to another record in Spain. Today is all about you and in athletics since it’s all about time. We have done two things; we are giving you a special bundle. 12:35:36 GB bundles every year, a unique bundle with calls and SMS.

“And then the second one is we want to show appreciation by giving you a financial reward. What we are doing here is good will.”

He added; “There is no contract, there is no paperwork. We are inviting many other sponsors to come and join the success story. We are handing over a token of appreciation of 123,536,000 UGX.”

Cheptegei expressed gratitude towards MTN’s token of appreciation and all his support team. The 2018 Commonwealth Gold medallist said; “It’s an honour to be recognised by MTN. I want to thank everyone who has been supporting me.

“At first I thought I would become a student athlete but I realized there was more. I want to thank coach Kiwa who supported me at Bugema University. Then also coach Benjamin Njia and Timothy Masaba for the paper work.

“I want to thank the President of Uganda, the first lady and Hamson Obua, the Minister of Sports. When we were preparing, the challenge was how I was going to get out of the country. When I spoke with the ministry, they availed the bombardier. We must also take credit.

“The government is also building a training center in Teryet where we can build many athletes. I have been supporting the junior athletes, every time we have a Christmas run in my village. We need different sponsors to create a conducive environment.”

Cheptegei was aided by pace-making from Roy Hoornweg, Stephen Kissa, and Matthew Ramsden to break Bekele’s 16-year-old record – the longest duration in the history of the event – by almost 2 seconds

Uganda’s leading telecommunications company MTN Uganda and 10,000m World record holder Joshua Cheptegei have signed a one year sponsorship deal to aid the latter in fostering talent all over the country.

MTN specifically allocated UGX 100 million towards the Joshua Cheptegei Foundation that is working to develop and provide a platform for young and rising athletes from the Sebei region.

The funds will be used to facilitate academic scholarships for the best performing athletes and community programs, especially entrepreneurial skills training.

A performance-based sponsorship package for Cheptegei was attached to the deal if he wins Olympic Gold in Tokyo or any other medal at the prestigious event this year.

The deal also encompassed a performance incentive for any other world records that Cheptegei breaks. MTN Chief Executive Officer, Wim Vanhelleputte said;

“We are very proud and honoured to announce this sponsorship deal for Joshua. At MTN, this is the next best thing we can do after several years of investment in developing athletics talent and sport in this country.

Through the renowned MTN Kampala Marathon and other Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) programs, MTN has supported the sport for over 15 years. And it is paying off. What Joshua is doing for the country is awesome and deserves to be recognized especially by his country.

Cheptegei expressed his gratitude towards MTN Uganda for the boost towards his Olympic dream.

“I am really honoured and want to take this opportunity to thank MTN for this partnership. This is a big motivation towards achieving my dream to become an Olympic champion.”

Cheptegei rose to the top step in 2014 when he won the World Junior Championships in Eugene, USA before becoming Africa Junior Champion the following year.

Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic that led to the suspension of global sport, Cheptegei ruled the track & field. He broke Kenenisa Bekele’s sixteen-year-old 5000m World Record by setting a new 12:35.36 for which MTN Uganda rewarded Cheptegei with a big cheque.

He later set a new 10000m World Record of 21:11.00 at the NN Valencia World Record Day. And just last month, Cheptegei defended his Monaco Run title to continue his dominance over the discipline.

Ugandan long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei picked some lessons from the Coronavirus-blighted 2020.

From his travel being hampered by the Coronavirus outbreak in Europe to a lockdown in Uganda by President Museveni borders and Entebbe airport closed, the athlete witnessed one of the most challenging periods. 

Cheptegei had to re-adjust his schedule with uncertainty hovering over competitions all over the world.

He started with the 5 km Herculis in Monaco setting a new world record if 12:51 – a 27 second improvement from Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto’s 13:18.

The Kapchorwa athlete then ran 12:35:36 to break Kenenisa Bekele’s 5000m world record set in 2004 at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on August 14th.

He later also smashed Bekele’s 15-year old 10,000m world record of 2005 at the NN Valencia World Record Day, Estadio de Atletismo del Turia, Valencia on October 7th.

Talking up the lessons he has learned with World Athletics, Cheptegei said; “This year has really taught me one special thing which is to persist amidst adversity, difficulty.

“Resilience is the key to becoming better and stronger. In life it is through challenges that you become more stronger, so when I did Valencia 10,000m, I still wanted to discover the challenge in the World Half Marathon.

“So many people thought I was doing it for fun ….despite having not trained for it.”

Ugandan long distance runner Jacob Kiplimo has been listed among the 100 athletes to watch ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

World Athletics curated the list that mentioned Kiplimo who has “fascinating” story just like the other 99 athletes that will be “worth following as the Games draw ever closer.”

Kiplimo “struck gold in a national record of 58:49” and the “performances underlined Kiplimo’s versatility, having previously won global medals at cross country and on the track.”

He missed the 2019 World Championships due to injury, but rebounded in 2020 to set PBs of 7:26.64 for 3000m and 12:48.63 for 5000m.

The 2020 World Half Marathon champion was listed alongside Ethiopians Roza Dereje, 5K and 10K specialist Selemon Barega, Kenyans Hellen Obiri and Valencia Marathon winner Peres Jepchirchir among others.

When the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) tips off on Sunday in Kigali, Rwanda, one Ugandan player will take to the floor.

Robinson Odoch Opong will turn out for Nigerian outfit Rivers Hoopers who open the tournament in a clash with hosts Patriots Basketball Club at the Kigali Arena.

The shooting guard joined the team as a replacement for injured Festus Ezeli, the 2015 NBA champion with Golden State Warriors.

Opong’s exploits with Uganda’s national basketball team, the Silverbacks, and his experience on the continent with local champions City Oilers attracted the attention of the Nigerian team.

Having played for Uganda at the 2017 Fiba Afrobasket Championship, 2019 Fiba World Cup Qualifiers, and 2021 Fiba Afrobasket Qualifiers as well as the FIBA Africa Champions Cup Opong is no stranger to this level.

BAL Groups 

Group A: US Monastir (Tunisia), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), Patriots BBC (Rwanda), and GNBC (Madagascar)
Group B: Petro de Luanda (Angola), AS Salé (Maroc), AS Police (Mali) and FAP (Cameroun)
Group C: Zamalek (Egypt), AS Douanes (Senegal), Ferroviário de Maputo (Mozambique) and GS Pétroliers (Algeria).

Uganda long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei is pleased to have claimed the honours in the men’s 3000m at the Ostrava Golden Spike Meet.

The 24-year-old had hoped he would smash Daniel Komen’s World Record of 7:20.67 – a milestone that has stood for nearly 25 years – since September 1, 1996.

However, the record was not destroyed despite the Kapchorwa-based athlete posting a personal best of 07:33:24 before USA’s Paul Chelimo of USA (07:41:69) and Ugandan Oscar Chelimo (7:43:00).

“The dream continues, not the result I wanted, but happy for the win!! Looking forward to the next races. #silverbackdreams ? Special thanks to @stewy_mac3 & @richarddouma for setting the pace ?,” he posted on his Instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPGt_DVn9WD/

Golden Spike Ostrava 2021 – Men’s 3000m – Race Results

Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 07:33.24 – WL, PB
Paul Chelimo (USA) 07:41.69 – SB
Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 07:43.00 – PB
Seán Tobin (IRL) 07:49.37 – SB
Isaac Kimeli (BEL) 07:49.47 – SB
Andreas Vojta (AUT) 07:49.75 – PB
Abdessamad Oukhelfen (ESP) 08:07.68 – SB
Vojtěch Král (CZE) 08:20.61 – SB

The Uganda Lady Rugby Cranes coaches have summoned forty three for national team training.

Head coaches, Leonard Lubambula and Charles Onen, identified the talent they need for this year’s international rugby engagements from the women’s regional 10s championships played across the country in April.

Of the forty three, Central Region champions Black Pearls have the highest proportion with 11 players summoned.

The Lady Rugby Cranes Fifteens expect to kick off their international season in a month’s time with the Elgon Cup match against Kenya on June 11 followed by the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in July.

The Sevens team on the other hand will be in action between August and September with the Rugby Africa Sevens World Cup pre-qualifiers.

Full list of Players

Forwards: Angel Ziwa (Avengers), Charity Atimango (Thunderbirds), Charlotte Theresa Mudoola (Black Pearls), Doreen Sijali (Avengers), Esther Maliam L (Kitgum Queens), Faith Namugga (Avengers), Fazila Namukwaya (Avengers), Jamilah Apio (Gulu Sprinters), Lydia Namabiro (Black Pearls), Lyton Nakabugo (Thunderbirds), Maimuna Nasozi (Avengers), Mary Auma (Kitgum Queens), Mary Gloria Ayot (Black Pearls), Mercy Adongpiny (Kitgum Queens), Nancy Laker (Gulu Sprinters), Patricia Anek (Kitgum Queens), Peace Lekuru (Avengers), Peace Mirembe (Black Pearls), Salamusida Babirye (Black Pearls), Sarah Kirabo (Avengers), Teddy Iwutung (Thunderbirds), Winnie Atyang (Thunderbirds), Yvonne Najjuma (Thunderbirds), Zauma Nashuha (Mbale Eagles).

Backs: Abbo Izabella (Blue Whales), Agnes Nakuya (Thunderbirds), Asha Nakityo (Thunderbirds), Bushira Namutebi (Black Diamonds), Christine Akello (Avengers), Emily Lekuru (Black Pearls), Flavia Ageno (Kitgum Queens), Gladys Aciro (Kitgum Queens), Grace Auma (Black Pearls), Julie Nandawula (Avengers), Masitula Nambozo (Mbale Eagles), Racheal Mufuwa (Black Pearls), Rebecca Koli (Kitgum Queens), Rita Nadunga (Black Pearls), Samiya Ayikoru (Thunderbirds), Suzan Adong (Black Pearls), Tina Akello (Black Pearls), Winnie Nabulo (Thunderbirds), Proscovia Ayero (Kitgum Queens).