Uganda Sevens will have five fresh faces at the 2024 World Rugby Sevens Challenger finale in Munich, Germany.

Head coach Tolbert Onyango named the team on Thursday morning and it includes Mubarak Wandera, Karim Arinaitwe, Mark Osuna, Allan Olango, and Aaron Tukei.

“We got a mix of experienced players and guys who have been in the camp for quite some time… over a year now. I think it’s an opportune time for us to get them tested at the top level. They have gone through the paces and I’m sure they’re going to give it their best in about a week’s time,” Onyango said of the team

Black Pirates’ flyhalf William Nkore will captain the squad in Munich with Alex Aturinda and Norbert Okeny as his assistants.

“We are looking forward to a good performance from this side. There will be good stories to tell from Munich,” Onyango added.

Uganda Sevens are in Pool B with Hong Kong China, Tonga, and Mexico. They have only played against Mexico this season of the Challenger Series.

The Squad: Mubarak Wandera*, Allan Olango*, Alex Aturinda, Davis Shimwa, Mark Osuna*, Karim Arinaitwe*, Aaron Tukei*, Timothy Mugisha, Roy Kizito, Denis Etwau, Nobert Okeny, William Nkore (captain).

Halima Nakaayi will start her international season at the Doha meeting of the Wanda Diamond League on Friday 10th May at Khalifa International Stadium.

The 29-year-old Ugandan middle-distance runner will be returning to track where she won her 800m world title in 2019.

Nakaayi has so far run in two major events this year. She won silver at the African Games in March clocking a time of 1:58.59 but was a second slower at the Kip Keino Classic last month where she posted 1:59.89.

In Doha, Nakaayi will be joined on the line by 2023 world champion Mary Moraa of Kenya and veteran Natoya Goule-Toppin of Jamaica as well as Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie who will be running at her first major event this year.

Moraa goes into the race as the favourite but Nakaayi, Reekie and Goule-Toppin will pose a challenge for that top spot as will Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu.

Race time is 7:13 pm, EAT

Meanwhile, another Ugandan runner Loyce Chekwemoi will compete in the women’s 5000m at the meet.

Chekwemoi was second runner-up at the National Cross Country Championship held in Tororo in February this year. She also competed in the women’s senior event at the 45th World Cross Country Championship in March finishing 9th.

It will be the first 5000m race for the 17-year-old who has been largely competing in the 3000m Steeplechase in her youth career.

Busoga United steered four points clear of the relegation zone following a 2-1 win over Express Football Club at Muteesa II Stadium in Wankulukuku.

The Jinja-based side scored two first-half goals in the opening ten minutes of the game courtesy of Emmanuel Ajo who was later named Man Of The Match.

Ajo’s brace takes his season tally to seven league goals so far.

Isaac Wagoina halved Express deficit five minutes after the break but the Red Eagles could not add to their tally as Busoga United held on for maximum points.

Busoga United are 13th on the log with 25 points collected from 26 games. They are four points clear of UPDF in the 14th position on the table but have played a game more.

Next up for Busoga are three tough fixtures against title contenders Kitara whom they visit on Saturday, May 11 in Masindi before hosting Vipers and BUL at the Fufa Technical Center in Njeru on Tuesday, May 14 and Saturday, May 18 respectively.

Starting XIs

Express XI: Abdul Kimera (GK) (C), Andrew Kaggwa, Alpha Thierry Ssali, Musa Ssali, Isaac Wagoina, Dauson Mafumu, Yasser Mugerwa, Joshua Musoke, Isa Lumu, Timothy Senfuma, Ashraf Mbazira

Busoga United XI: Salimu Munaku Wekiya (GK) (C), Isaac Isinde, Hassan Kintu, Sharifu Ziraba, Basham Mugwa, Emmanuel Ajo, Musa Kasimba, Isaac Doka, Jeremy Matata, Stephen Odongo, George Dhafa

Rugby Championship Quarterfinal Results | Return Leg

• KOBs 51-16 Mongers | Agg: 68-29
• Heathens 28-16 Walukuba Barbarians | Agg: 53-16
• Buffaloes 12-05 Jinja Hippos | Agg: 33-45
• Black Pirates 30-27 Rhinos | Agg: 40-34

Rugby Championship Semifinal Fixtures

• Heathens vs KOBs
• Jinja Hippos vs Black Pirates

The top four sides in the country Heathens, KOBs, Black Pirates and Jinja Hippos are through to the National Rugby Championship Playoff semifinals.

While KOBs eased to a 51-16 win over Mongers at Legends and defending champions Heathens held off a competitive Walukuba Barbarians 28-16, it was not an easy sail for Pirates at King’s Park and Hippos couldn’t thrive in the mud of Kyadondo.

The Pirates needed a strong second-half performance to overcome the pedestrian opening half that saw them trail 21-00 to Rhinos. Ivan Kirabo’s boot and tries from Godwin Abwang and Arnold Ocen had Rhinos in charge in what looked like would be an upset.

However, Muhammad Haruna took charge in the second-half comeback from Pirates scoring a pair of tries and setting Paul Bagota with Jaden Isaac also scoring to draw the game level at 24.

From that point, it was the Pirates with the momentum and they went on to pick a slim win from the jaws of defeat.

At Kyadondo, the home side registered a 12-5 win after the morning downpour made it impossible to play the ball. Hippos had done all the work in the first leg in Jinja where they won by a huge margin.

The semifinals will be played over the next two weekends in a two-legged affair before a one-off final.

Ugandan middle-distance runner Halima Nakaayi will compete in the 800m at the Eugene meeting of the Wanda Diamond League on Saturday, 25th May.

The former World Champion will take the Heyward Field track at the Prefontaine Classic alongside some big names in women’s middle-distance running.

Athing Mu of the USA, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, Natoya Goule-Toppin of Jamaica, World number one Mary Moraa of Kenya and African champion Tsige Duguma from Ethiopia will all line up in what will be a very competitive race.

Nakaayi has run in two major events this year. She won silver at the African Games in March clocking a time of 1:58.59 but was a second slower at the Kip Keino Classic last month where she posted 1:59.89.

Moraa and Duguma have both run under 1:58 this season while Mu ran a national record 1:54.97 on the same track last year and that could make the race fast-paced.

The meet will help Nakaayi continue to prepare for the Paris Olympic games as she looks to put behind her a fair share of bad luck experienced in the last couple of World Championships and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Race time will be 12:34am, EAT (Sunday, 26th May).

Peruth Chemutai will take the track of the Heyward Field at the University of Oregon to compete in her second meet of the 2024 Wanda Diamond League season.

The 2020 Olympic champion will take on some of the best and rising steeplechasers in the world including African and World Champion Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya on Saturday, 25th May at the Eugene meeting.

Chemutai clocked 9:05.54 the last time she ran on this track in 2022 and will be looking to better her performance as she continues to prepare for the Paris Olympics.

The 24-year-old Ugandan competed in the Xiamen meeting last month. She clocked her season best 9:12.99 finishing in 3rd place behind Chepkoech and Faith Cheroitich who will also line up in Eugene.

A silver medalist at the African Games, Chemutai will be running in her fourth major event this year.

USA’s Courtney Frerichs who ran a personal best of 8:57.77 on the same track back in 2021 as well as Winfred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain who also registered a personal 8:50.66 at the same venue last year are the other top athletes on the entry list.

• Semifinals Return Leg
• NEC FC vs. BUL FC – 3:00pm, MTN Omondi Stadium – Lugogo
• Aggregate: 1-1

A Uganda Cup Finals spot is at stake as NEC Football Club hosts BUL Football Club at the MTN Omondi Stadium this after in the return leg of the semifinal.

Following their 1-1 draw in the first leg at FUFA Technical Center in Njeru last weekend, it is a high-stakes showdown in Lugogo as the tie is still wide open.

BUL has not picked victory against NEC this season, a statistic they have to overturn if they are to make a third Uganda Cup appearance in four years.

A goalless draw or win will see NEC qualify for their maiden Uganda Cup final but they will have to do it without the services of Allan Mugalu who is ruled out of the game.

On the other hand, Abbey Kikomeko’s BUL, buoyed by their recent League victory against Vipers at Namboole, need an outright victory to reach the finals but a draw of two or more goals can also see them advance.

The biggest long-distance stars from Uganda, Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, will be in action in the 5000m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Oslo on Thursday, 30th May.

Cheptegei will be looking to emulate the form that saw him break the world record with 12:35.36 at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco in 2020 and a year later win Olympic gold in Tokyo.

Cheptegei will be joined in Oslo by compatriot Jacob Kiplimo who will only be looking for his second Diamond League victory having won the 3000m race in Rome four years ago.

Current world number one Yomif Kejelcha and 2021 Wanda Diamond League champion Berihu Aregawi, both Ethiopian, are also among the starters in what promises to be a race for the ages at the sixth leg of the 2024 season.

Hagos Gebrhiwet and Telahun Haile Bekele are the other Ethiopians confirmed for the race.

Henrik Ingebrigtsen, a local favourite, is also on the entry list as well as Guatemala’s Luis Grijalva and Switzerland’s Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu.

Uganda’s biggest motorsport event, Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, has been launched.

The Pearl of Africa Rally, which is the third round of the 2024 National Rally Championship, will run from May 10-12 in the Eastern district of Jinja.

The event that first ran in 1997 will also serve as the first round of the 2024 Africa Rally Championship which will add spice to the competition with foreign crews racing for ARC points.

Rally defending champion Karan Patel of Kenya and his compatriot Hamza Anwar are the two foreign drivers confirmed for the event that has registered over thirty entries.

Current national championship leader Jonas Kansiime and former national champions Jas Mangat, Ronald Sebuguzi, and Ponsiano Lwakataka have been registered, drawing more of the rally’s rich history and competitive spirit.

The Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally will start with a free practice and qualifying stage in Wairaka on Day One (10th May). Day Two will feature seven stages and then the rally will climax with three stages on Day Three.

The rally will cover a total competitive distance of 209.45 kilometres.

NBL Fixtures | Friday, May 3 | MTN Arena – Lugogo

• KCCA Leopards Vs JKL Lady Dolphins – 7:00 pm
• Dmark Power Vs City Oilers – 9:00 pm

City Oilers have switched their focus back on the National Basketball League (NBL) as they get their second round of the campaign underway tonight against struggling Dmark Power.

After a disappointing second season in the Basketball Africa League where they registered just one victory, the team has refocused on the NBL which is the pathway back to the continent.

Tonny Drilleba, Fayed Baale, Titus Lual, Ivan Muhwezi, and Allawi Seenkubuge who barely played in Cairo will be eager to make an impact to build on the dominant 73-38 victory in the first-round meeting.

Power concluded the first round with four wins and seven losses and they have not fared any better in the second round so far, losing all three games. Kevin Ongunjim, Clinton Omondi, and Taariq Powell who were added during the midseason transfer window are yet to click.

Geoffrey Soro is reported to have returned to the club and it remains to be seen whether he will feature for the five-time champions

In the women’s division, champions JKL Lady Dolphins will battle with KCCA Leopards a side looked at as the top challengers for the throne.

The highly anticipated match brings together the top two teams in the division, promising a thrilling showdown following an exciting first-round meeting that the Lady Dolphins edged 83-81.