Halimah Nakaayi registered victory in the Women’s 800m at the Continental Tour Gold event at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The former world champion had the smallest margin of victory on day two, winning the 800m in 1:57.56, only six-thousands of a second ahead of Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia. It’s also the world-leading time over the event.

Nakaayi thus set a new National Record slashing microseconds off her previous best of 1:57.62 set last year at the Olympic Stadium in London.

The next stop for the Ugandan will be Eugene, Oregon where she will compete in the Diamond League next weekend.

Meanwhile, Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo finished 3rd and 4th respectively in the 5000m race on Friday. The Ugandans were behind Ethiopians Selemon Barega and Berihu Eragawi.

The two Ugandan long-distance stars will go head-to-head again in Oslo on May 30th in the Diamond League meet.

NBL Results | Wednesday, May 15

• KCCA Panthers 83-91 Namuwongo Blazers
• Miracle Ravens 63-71 Magic Stomers (OT)

Namuwongo Blazers secured their fifth straight victory in the ongoing 2024 National Basketball League.

Namuwongo Blazers registered a 91-83 victory against KCCA Panthers in a thrilling game of basketball played at YMCA Court in Wandegeya.

Daniel Gaaki sealed the opening quarter with a shot from downtown as Namuwongo Blazers led the first period (25-9) with 16 points.

The Blazers extended their lead to 21 points (51-30) however KCCA Panthers greatly improved their craft dropping 21 points in the second quarter.

After the halftime break, the Panthers’ continued with the fight reducing the deficit to (67-53) 14 points.

The Panthers launched a late surge but Namuwongo Blazers hang in to secure an eight-point victory.

Joseph Chuma led the scoring chart with 22 points and 15 points alongside Blair Wadaya (17) and Innocent Ochera (16).

Davis Assimwe dropped a game-high 25 points to lead KCCA while Gaius Mahamba scored 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

KCCA Panthers have so far lost six games and won nine games in the ongoing campaign.

NBL Fixtures | Wednesday, May 15

• Miracle Ravens vs Magic Stormers – 7pm
• KCCA Panthers vs Nam Blazers – 9pm

KCCA Panthers will take on top-of-the-table Namuwongo Blazers tonight in the National Basketball League at YMCA in Wandegeya.

Panthers (9-5) will be looking to upset Blazers (12-3) having lost the first-round fixture by 20 points (84-64) at Abja Park, the home of the Blazers.

KCCA come into the game on the back of a one-point win over Power while Namuwongo edged Ndejje Angels in their last out and coach Stephen Nyeko will be hoping for a better defensive effort from the team. Blazers were also pushed to the limit in the game against JT Jaguars they edged 62-60.

In the women’s division, Miracle Ravens will be looking to bounce back from recent disappointing performances when they face Magic Stormers.

Ravens have struggled in the second round, winning just two out of their five games and losing their last two fixtures but against Stormers, a team they beat in the first round of the season, Arnold Katabi will fancy his charges’ chances.

However, the Stormers have since strengthened their squad, notably adding star forward Zainah Lokwameri during the mid-season transfer window.

And the Stormers have shown significant improvement, winning two of their three games in the second round. They triumphed over the UPDF Lady Tomahawks and Kampala University but couldn’t match the power JKL Lady Dolphins.

Jas Mangat topped local crews but it was Kenyan driver Karan Patel who claimed the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally win in the Eastern district of Jinja.

The Pearl of Africa Rally doubled as the first round of the 2024 Africa Rally Championship and defending champion Patel picked maximum points.

Patel and co-driver Taussef Khan in the Skoda Fabia claimed eight stage wins out of the nine stages covered during the two-day event. They completed the rally in a time of 1:45:11.7

Mangat in a Hyundai i20 managed to secure second position completing the rally in 1:46:54.4 (1 minute and  42.7) seconds behind Patel.

Kenya’s Hamza Anwar completed the ARC podium in a time of 1:51:39.0.

In the national premier division, Ronald Ssebuguzi came second 13 minutes and 46.6 seconds behind Mangat with Ponsiano Lwakataka completing the podium.

Heathens RFC beat KOBs 29-18 in the first leg of the National Rugby Championship semifinal played at Legends Rugby Ground on Saturday.

Malcom Okello was the star of the evening as his 19 points off the tee (five penalties and two conversions) propelled Heathens to the victory that put them close to the finals at the expense of their rivals.

However, it was KOBs that got the early points opportunity but Joseph Aredo skewed his kick for points in the 3rd minute of the game before the Okello show, off the tee, started.

Josiah Ssempeke who came on for Cornrad Mukwaya took over the kicking duties and had three penalties and a try converted.

Malcom extended the lead to 15-03 before Heathens scored their opening try through Michael Wokorach which was converted to take the lead to 22-03

Sempeke added three more points but shortly after, Heathens scored a well-constructed try through Incocent Goktho, also converted by Okello.

KOBs started calling for the kicking tee but Sempeke missed back-to-back penalties before forwards put Heathens’ defense under immense pressure and came away with Mike Otto’s try that was converted before captain Derrick Tukwasibwe on the final play for a respectable score.

Heathens will host the return leg at Kyandondo next weekend.

Ugandan sprinter Tarsis Orogot Orogot shattered his own 200m National Record over the distance at SEC Championship in Gainesville on Saturday night.

The University of Alabama athlete claimed gold in the men’s 200-meter dash behind a personal-best 19.75. The junior recorded an NCAA-leading time and the third-fastest time in collegiate history.

The performance also secured Orogot the Ugandan national record, the East African record, a meet record and a University of Alabama school record.

At the same championships, Orogot finished fifth in the men’s 100-meter dash with a personal-best 10.06 which is also the fourth-fastest time in school’s history.

Orogot will return to action May 22-25 for the 2024 NCAA Outdoor East Preliminaries in Lexington, Kentuky.

There are two fresh faces as the Lady Rugby Cranes Sevens head to the Polish city of Kraków for the final leg of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger series.

The changes made in the squad to play at the tournament scheduled for May 18-19 are due to injury.

Gertrude Kateesa and Unity Namulala have replaced Sandra Amoli Lona and Racheal Mufuwa who featured in the opening two legs in Dubai and Montevideo.

Kateesa and Naamulala are not new to the set-up as they played at last year’s Safari Sevens where Uganda emerged as champions.

Lady Rugby Cranes 7s are currently placed fourth in the overall standings; tied on twenty-eight points with Belgium. Having reached the semifinals during both past rounds, another semifinal berth could be enough for them to book a ticket to the World Rugby SVNS Core Status Qualification Tournament in Madrid.

Argentina, Paraguay, and Papua New Guinea will be Uganda’s opponents during the pool phase of the two-day tournament.

The Squad

Lydia Namabiro, Mary Gloria Ayot, Grace Nabaggala, Sarah Kirabo, Juliet Nandawula, Maimuna Nassozi, Ritta Nadunga, Gertrude Kateesa*, Grace Auma, Agnes Nakuya, Unity Namulala*, Peace Lekuru (Captain)

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).

UCU Lady Cardinals guard Shakira Nanvubya is confident ahead of the clash against KIU Rangers in the ongoing National Basketball League campaign.

UCU Lady Cardinals is set to lock horns with KIU Rangers in the Friday Night Hoops action at Lugogo Indoor Arena.

Ahead of the epic show, Nanvubya revealed that she feels confident ahead of the clash due to the great preparations ahead of the game.

“Since our previous league game, we have been in a good mood preparing for this game because we badly want to win,” she noted.

“We have so far had a good campaign that can only get better and such fixtures like one against KIU Rangers provided the much-required challenge,” she added.

Nanvubya highlighted that she has never lost against KIU Rangers and hardly intends to break the record though she called upon her teammates to give their best so as to avoid an upset.

“This is a team I have never lost against. I hope we keep beating them in games to come. Though no game comes easy and as a team, we have to work hard to ensure that we win the game.”

“KIU (Rangers) has good players that can easily upset you. So we have to go fight for the badge and ensure that we win the game and continue with our impressive run.”

UCU Lady Canons lie fourth on the log with 23 points in 13 games while the Rangers are second with 26 points having played a game more.

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.