By: John Wycliffe Musinguzi
The 2026 USSSA Ball Games II were officially declared open on Friday at Sacred Heart Secondary School, Gulu, with education and sports leaders calling on schools to uphold integrity, fair competition, and the continued development of young talent.
The championship, which began on 8th July, will run until 18th July 2026, bringing together a record 10,180 participants from schools across Uganda. Athletes are competing in 27 disciplines, including five demonstration sports, making this the biggest edition of the USSSA Ball Games II ever staged.
The colourful opening ceremony was presided over by the President of the Association of Secondary School Headteachers of Uganda (ASSHU), Zulaika Nabukeera, who served as the Chief Guest.
In her address, Nabukeera applauded school headteachers for their unwavering support of co-curricular activities, noting that they have played a key role in Uganda’s growing success in international school sports competitions.
She also urged schools to uphold the integrity of the championships by fielding only bona fide students.
“I would like to applaud all headteachers for promoting co-curricular activities in our schools. This has played a significant role in Uganda’s outstanding performances at international competitions. Do not bring non-bona fide students. Let us develop our young boys and girls for the future by giving every deserving student a fair opportunity to compete,” she said.
Hajjat Zulaika Nabukera, ASSHU President Giving Her Remarks.
USSSA President Justus Mugisha revealed that this year’s championships have attracted a record 10,180 participants competing across 23 competitive categories and four demonstration sports, highlighting the continued growth of school sports in Uganda.
He attributed Uganda’s dominance at the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games to the high level of competition at the national championships, noting that the country has emerged overall champions for five consecutive editions since 2019.
Looking ahead, Mugisha announced that USSSA has submitted a bid to the International School Sport Federation (ISF) to host the Schools Football World Cup in 2030.
“We compete at the highest level here, which is why Uganda has dominated the FEASSA Games for the past five consecutive years. Building on this success, we have put in a bid to host the ISF Schools Football World Cup in 2030, with plans to stage the tournament in four cities,” Mugisha said.
USSSA President Justus Mugisha Giving His Speech
The ceremony was attended by members of the USSSA Executive Committee, Rev. Sr. Hellen Lamunu, the Headteacher of Sacred Heart Secondary School, Gulu, and His Grace Most Rev. Raphael p’Mony Wokorach, Bishop of Gulu Catholic Archdiocese.
Rev. Sr. Hellen Lamunu welcomed the visiting teams and officials, assuring them of the school’s commitment to providing a safe, organised, and successful championship throughout the tournament.
With thousands of student-athletes now in action across Gulu City, the championships are expected to showcase Uganda’s finest school sports talent while reinforcing the values of discipline, teamwork, integrity, and excellence.
