Black Pearls and Rhinos emerged winners of the first circuit of the 2024 National Sevens Series, Entebbe 7s, played at the Works Grounds in Entebbe.

The two teams completed the two-day tournament unbeaten. While it was expected from the Black Pearls given their performance over the last few years, Rhinos run to victory was shocking.

The Black Pearls beat Avengers 26-12 in the final with Grace Auma the star woman scoring a hat trick of tries and Lydia Namabiro got the other while Lady Rugby Cranes captain Peace Lekuru scored for the home side.

Maimuna Nassozi had a good tournament despite losing in the final and was named the tournament MVP.

Meanwhile, Rhinos beat Buffaloes 17-05 to claim the men’s trophy. Three unanswered tries by captain Allan Olango (2) who. was named the MVP and the other Arnold Ocen were enough to see the Legends-based side complete the tournament unbeaten.

It was Rhinos’ first Cup Final appearance and victory since regaining core status in the National Sevens Series two years ago.

The next circuit is in Mbale this weekend.

Mary Cholhok has signed a multi-year deal with the Queensland Firebirds.

Cholhok has represented Uganda since 2018 and was part of the She Cranes’ 2019 and 2023 World Cup team.

The star goaler has spent the past six seasons with English Netball Superleague club Loughborough Lightning. 

The 27-year-old scored a league-high 975 goals in 2024, including 50 goals in the Lightning’s Grand Final win over Manchester Thunder.

Cholhok is looking forward to joining the world’s best league in 2025. 

“I am so excited to be joining the Firebirds,” Cholhok said as quoted by the League website.

“It has always been my dream to play in the best league in the world.

“Every Saturday morning when I wake up I watch highlights of SSN and now it is surreal that I am going to be a part of the league.

“I am so grateful to the Firebirds for this opportunity. I can’t wait to get started and meet the Firebirds family.”

Firebirds Head Coach Kiri Wills is thrilled to have locked Cholhok into her lineup.

“I tried for many seasons to lure Mary to New Zealand to join me at the Northern Stars without success,” Wills said.

“So to know Mary will now be joining me at the Firebirds in 2025 is a real thrill and I can’t wait to see what she can do in the SSN.

“Mary’s height is obviously a key asset but she’s developed her game so much in England. Her athleticism makes her difficult for defenders to manage. As a result, her accuracy and volume are incredible.

“I just know Mary is going to be a wonderful member of our Purple Family and look forward to welcoming her to Brisbane in a few weeks.”

The 2024 National Sevens series gets underway this weekend in Entebbe.

The tournament will be played at the Works Grounds from August 10-11. It will kick off at 8 a.m. local time (EAT) on Saturday morning with Buffaloes taking on Elgon Wolves in the opener.

The Pools (Men and Women) for the Entebbe 7s were released on Friday.

Black Pirates were the men’s top seed from the 2023 series, followed by podium finishers Platinum Credit Heathens and KCB KOBs. They are, respectively, in pools A, B, and C.

Men’s Pools for Entebbe 7s (Invitational*)

• Pool A: Pirates, Rhinos, Impis, Kisubi Pacers*.
• Pool B: Heathens, Walukuba, Rams, Jaguars*.
• Pool C: KOBs, Mongers, Warriors, Kyambogo*.
• Pool D: Hippos, Buffaloes, Elgon Wolves, Eagles*.

In the women’s competition, the top seed from 2023 Black Pearls are in Pool A and runners-up Avengers in Pool B.

Women’s Pools for Entebbe 7s (Invitational*)

• Pool A: Black Pearls, Nile Rapids, She Wolves, Panthers*.
• Pool B: Avengers, Thunderbirds, Kitgum Queens, Kisubi Lady Pacers*.

In 2022, the last time Entebbe hosted a National 7s circuit, Heathens and Black Pearls were men’s and women’s Cup winners.

Ugandan athlete Peruth Chemutai secured a silver medal in the women’s at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Chemutai held her nerves to cross the line second after posting an 8:53:34 time with a new national record behind Bahrain’s Winfred Mutile Yavi.

Chemutai came into the race seeking to defend her gold medal secured in the Tokyo Olympics held in Japan, though she felt short.

In the tight race, Chemutai led for quite a while, but Yavi had a superb finish to set a new world record 8:52:76 to clinch gold.

Kenya’s Faith Cherotich crossed the line third with a timing of 8:55:15 to secure bronze.

Chemutai’s silver becomes the second medal of the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after Joshua Cheptegei’s gold medal in the men’s 10,000m race.

Peruth Chemutai will be on track today as she seeks to defend her title in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase in the ongoing Olympics games.

Chemutai won heat one of the races with ease to confirm his slot in the final of the highly anticipated track.

To reach the mark, she was in the lead for the biggest time of the race, and this made her climax easily ahead of a talented pack of quality athletes.

The athlete is poised to leave everything on the track as she attempts to defend the gold medal that she secured in Tokyo three years ago.

Unlike in Tokyo, where she entered the race as a young athlete to look out for, this time around Chemutai is one of the favourites to get to the podium.

Chemutai will face stiff competition from Winfred Yavi (Bahrain) and Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya). However, she will look back to this year’s Diamond League meet in Eugene, where she beat them in the same event.

Having faced setbacks in the previous World Championships, today’s race offers her a thrilling and exciting chance to rewrite her name on the back pages and big walls.

Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo have officially been withdrawn from the Men’s 5,000m race at the Paris Olympic Games.

According to a statement from Uganda’s Athletics head coach at the game Faustino Kiwa, the duo was unable to recover from the gruelling 10,000m race in which Cheptegei won gold and Kiplimo finished 8th.

“I wish to inform Ugandans that our heroes Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo have been officially withdrawn from the 5,000m race due on Wednesday 7th August 2024,” the statement reads.

“This follows their failure to fully recover from the gruelling 10,000m race in which both athletes competed on Friday 2nd August 2024. The event left them fatigued with leg and arm muscle pains. Efforts by the Physio Teams to resuscitate the athletes to their full normal form has not been successful.

“The Coaching staff in consultation with the athletes, taking into consideration the coaching principle “athlete first, winning second”, decided to withdraw them from the 5,000m to give them ample time to fully recover.

“This now leaves Oscar Chelimo as the lone gallant soldier holding the Ugandan Flag in the 5,000m Race.”

This will be the first time in six years for Kiplimo to depart a major championship without a medal.

Denis Tela and Anne Abeja were the best performers at the August MTN Monthly Tee played on Saturday, August 3 at Entebbe Golf Club.

Tela returned to the clubhouse with the best score of the day to emerge as the overall winner of the one-day tournament. He carded a nett score of 65.

Meanwhile, Abeja topped the Ladies Group A with a 1-under 70. Bridget Basiima, the overall winner of last year, was a shot behind to take the runner-up spot.

Michael Tumusiime topped the Men’s Group A with 72 beating John Muchiri on countback.

Oscar Semawere (69) beat Marvin Kagoro by one shot to top Group B while club chairman Jacob Byamukama (70) claimed Group C beating Fred Kabanda on countback.

The next Monthly Tee will be played on 21st September.

MTN MONTHLY TEE – AUGUST TOP PERFORMERS

OVERALL WINNER

• Tela Dennis – 65 nett

GROUP A MEN

• WINNER: Tumusiime Micheal – 72 c/b
• RUNNER UP: Muchiri John – 72

GROUP B MEN

• WINNER: Semawere Oscar – 69
• RUNNER UP: Kagoro Marvin – 70

GROUP C MEN

• WINNER: Byamukama Jacob – 70 c/b
• RUNNER UP: Kabanda Fred – 70

GROUP A LADIES

• WINNER: Abeja Anne – 70
• RUNNER UP: Basiima Bridget – 71

GROUP B LADIES

• WINNER: Tumusiime Pamela – 67
• RUNNER UP: Peace Hellen – 69

WINNER SENIORS 55 +

• Susan Knight – 71

WINNER GUESTS

• Mabano Robert – 69 c/b

Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei has opted out of the 5,000m race in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after winning the 10,000m gold medal in the ongoing tournament.

The development was due to Cheptegei’s injury during the 10,000m race he ran on Friday, August 2, 2024.

According to Daily Monitor, the injury was triggered by a colleague’s heavy fall on Cheptegei after the tight and thrilling race.

“An athlete fell on him during celebrations, but it wasn’t serious. However, he felt a lot of pain on Saturday morning and might not be in the right shape for the race,” a source told Daily Monitor.

The sad happening has forced the Ugandan Olympic Committee to remove the athlete’s name from the list ahead of the race’s heats on Wednesday, August 7.

Cheptegei’s dismissal from the list now hands the mantle to Jacob Kiplimo, who will be out to search for a slot on the podium.

Cheptegei is the defending champion of the 5,000m race after securing gold in Tokyo. He will not have a chance to double his medals like it was in the previous edition.

Ugandan raising sprinter Tarsis Orogot will compete in the Men’s 200m heats race at the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympic Games today.

Orogot will have to be among the best three in today’s race for a direct qualification to the semifinals.

Orogot is the first Ugandan to take part of the 200m race at the Olympics in 32 years following Francis Ogola’s show in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

However, Uganda has not been so active in the sprints since the last Ugandan to compete in that specific bracket was Davis Kamoga, who clinched bronze in the 1996 Olympics.

The field will be littered with big names in the race, but Orogot’s assignment remains making it to the finals, and that will be a big shift in the youngster’s progress.

Orogot has lowered his national record twice as now it stands at 19.75 following his last race in May in Gainesville.

Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai won heat one of the 3000m Steeplechase heats with lots of ease on Sunday morning.

Chemutai ran the fastest time (9:10:57) in the three different heats to confirm her slot in the final race.

Chemutai was in the lead for the biggest time of the race, and this made her climax easy ahead of a talented pack of quality athletes.

Heat two was won by Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi with a timing of 9:15:11 while Sembo Almayew Welteji posted 9:15:42.

Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech won the third heat with a timing of 9:13:56 ahead of France’s Alice Finot (9:14:78).

Chemutai will use the coming days to recover her body ahead of the highly anticipated final that will be held on Tuesday, 6th August at 10:14 PM.