The 2023 Fresh Dairy USSSA Racquet & Bat games qualifiers came to a climax down at Nabisunsa Girls school on sunday ,16th April,2023.
The games were successfully held over two days at Nabisunsa Girls school in Wakiso district.The included Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis.
Qualified schools:
Twenty-four schools (12 per gender) in Badminton qualified to the national finals that will be held at Mbarara High school.
In Tennis, eighteen schools (10 boys and 8 girls) will play at the nationals while in Table Tennis, sixteen schools (eight per gender) made the grade for the national finals.
Table Tennis:
Under the boys’ category, Kibuli S.S and Namilyango College qualified from group A.
St Michael International and Mbogo Mixed were successful from group B.
In group C, St Andrew’s College Sanda and Caltec Academy qualified whilst Kawanda Secondary School and Mbogo College wee successful from group D.
Girls T.T:
Mbogo Mixed and Nabisunsa Girls (Group A), Mbogo High and Seeta High Mukono (Group B), Mbogo College and Kibuli S.S (Group C) as well as Kawanda S.S and St Michael International (Group D) all qualified.
Parvin Nangonzi and Jemimah Nakawala who represented Uganda at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham were part of team Kibuli S.S.
Playing with Fortune Kimberly Katusiime, the Kibuli S.S trio attributed the success to great preparations.
“We train every day under strict instructions. The preparations have been good and lately, we had the UMEA Games that also put us in the best shape” Katusiime explained.
Badminton:
The qualified boys’ teams are Kibuli S.S, Kinawa High Kawempe, Gombe S.S, St Michael International, Kawanda S.S, Kisaasi College School, Kakungulu Memorial School, Kings College Buddo, Lubiri SS, St Mary’s College Kisubi, St Michael Ssonde and Namilyango College.
The qualified schools for the girls are Mbogo High School, Lubiri S.S, Trinity College Nabbingo, Rubaga Girls, Gayaza High School, Mt St. Mary’s College Namagunga, Nabisunsa Girls, Kings College Buddo, Kawanda S.S, St Michael International, Mariam High School and St Michael Ssonde.
Tennis:
The ten schools (boys) that will play at the finals are Ntare school, Namilyango College, SMACK, Mengo S.S, Kings College Buddo, Kibuli S.S, Busoga College Mwiri, Kololo S.S, Kigezi High School and Bombo Army.
For the girls; the eight successful schools for Tennis at the nationals are; Nabisunsa Girls, Mt St Mary’s Namagunga, Mary Hill College, Mengo S.S, Kibuli S.S, Kings College Buddo, Gayaza High School and Old Kampala S.S.
The closing day was graced by the USSSA president Justus Mugisha and president Emeritus Patrick Okanya.
Mugisha lauded the different schools that have managed to assemble teams, preparing a pool of young talented players who are envisaged as the future for Uganda’s sport.
“I want to salute the different schools that have prepared their players for the Fresh Dairy Racquet and bat games qualifiers. 98% of the players in these games now are all under USSSA which is a feeder for clubs and national teams. We shall remain on course with this noble cause” Mugisha revealed.
The Fresh Dairy Racket and Bat games alongside Hockey and Girls’ football will be played in Mbarara city (Ntare School as the host) between May 6th to 16th, 2023.
