Sports women at the top of their game

Claire Lamunu (basketball)
Lamunu’s star has continued to shine since she left Makerere University and KCCA Leopards in 2015 to join Vanguard University in Golden State, USA. After scoring a total high 664 points – an average of 22.9 per game - over the past year and coming top in offensive, defensive, and overall rebounding numbers, Lamunu was named Golden State Athletic Conference (GSCA) Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last month. “Claire has had the best statistical season in the history of our programme,” her coach Russ Davis, told Vanguard’s website. “She is a game changer on both ends of the floor. But the best thing about Claire is that she is an unbelievable woman in all aspects of her life. She will collect a lot of awards for her achievements on and off the court. Her improvement from last year to now is incredible. She deserves and has earned everything.”

Lillian Zawedde (Woodball)
Zawedde combined with Onesmus Atamba to claim gold at the mixed doubles of the 7th Woodball World Cup in Jeju, South Korea last year but she added a single’s bronze to that feat. Her achievements make her standout even though the year has started slow for this relatively little known sport.

Hasifa Nassuna (Football)
Nassuna is the reigning Female Footballer of the Year and a two time Fufa Women Elite League Most Valuable Player (MVP).
After two time top scorer and 2015 Female Footballer of the Year Sandra Nabweteme moved to USA last year, Nassuna was tasked with taking the captaincy and scoring roles at Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC.
Despite a slow start to the season, her side is still unbeaten in seven league games and she is leading top scorer with 11 goals.

Patricia Apolot (Kickboxing)
The Black Pearl, as Apolot is popularly known, is a holder of the World Kickboxing International title and the reigning Africa champion.
What sets her apart from most of the names on this list is the fact that since 2009, she has beaten the prejudices females face in combat sports.

Dorcus Ajok (Athletics)
Bar preparations for the March 26 World Cross Country Championship, not much has been going on for female athletes since the turn of the year.
Therefore the margins are still fine between Dorcus Ajok and other household names in the athletics fraternity like Winnie Nanyondo, Esther Chebet, Peruth Chemutai, Juliet Chekwel and Rachael Chebet among others.
However, she beat some of them at the cross country relay trials mid last month and came third in the cross country auditions in January to show that she can build on last year’s middle distance (1500m and 800m) medals at the regional and continental university games.
After a disappointing Olympics - Ajok failed to qualify owing to a tumble a few metres to the touchline then - where our athletics team came without any enhanced reputations, the March 26 event at Kololo Independence Grounds provides an opportunity for one of the female athletes to rise above the rest.

Flavia Namakula (Golf)
Namakula has stood tall in era where she has literally competed against herself. It is not an easy feat to complete as her friendly foe Irene Nakalembe remains a distant second. After winning all and sundry on the local scene and in the region, early this year Namakula took her talents to the Ladies Sunshine Tour in Southern Africa.
And as a rookie professional swimming in deep waters, Uganda’s ‘Queen of the Greens’ has not done any harm to steadily growing reputation by making two cuts on the most coveted elite ladies circuit in Africa.

Samiya Ayikoru (Rugby)
Helen Buteme is undoubtedly the most popular item in women’s rugby, perhaps even more trendy than the ladies’ games’ persistent financial constraints. A Walukuba Titans player, Buteme will be the fast to admit that the baton has passed on to the next generation. Ayikoru’s versatility, speed and footwork that have graced her game since she broke the ranks in 2011 make her one of the standout players of the current generation.
With two club titles in the bag last year, Ayikoru inspired the national team select sides with two Most Valuable Player (MVP) performances in two trips to Kenya, a clear sign that she is enjoying her responsibilities.

Peace Proscovia (Netball)
Peace is in her third season at Loughborough University, London showing how much she is still an integral part of this team she joined ahead of the 2015 Netball World Cup. While studying on a Masters Programme in Marketing at Loughborough University, Peace, who is the first African to play in the England Vitality Superleague harbours a dream to make the finals of this competition. For now, they have three straight wins where the Ugandan goal shooter has been a big presence prompting her new teammate Jo Trip to warn other defenders in the division about Proscovia. “Peace was an absolute stand out yet again and I am so glad I don’t have to play up against her this year. I’ll leave that task to other defenders,” Trip said.

Shamim Bangi (Badminton)
Bangi is one of the few women that has dominated a sports discipline, locally, for long. She has always been at the top of badminton here from the time she broke out in 2007. However, the 23-year-old was gutted after her efforts over that time failed to translate into an Olympic qualification for Rio 2016. Last month she defeated Domou Amro from Jordan in straight sets (21-9, 21-16) to win the elusive Uganda International and atone for a series of disappointing engagements in international competitions all over the world.

Kirabo Namutebi (Swimming)
The 12-year-old daughter of Uganda Volleyball Federation president Hadijah Namanda, is already making unusual times for her age. Her medal count in different age category competitions is not easy to quantify but let us look at some of her times. Her current 29.50 in the 50m freestyle is dazzling. At the Kenya Age Group and Open Championships held at Kasarani, Namutebi set a new personal best of 36.86 in the 50m breaststroke, beating the 38.40 she had set a week earlier at the Cana Zone IV Championships in Zimbabwe. For perspective, that time, according to Dolphins coach Muzafaru Muwanguzi, is over two seconds lower than what two time Olympian Jamila Lunkuse, 20, was making at 12 years and betters the 40:48 Anthea Mudanye set at the World Shortcourse Championships in Canada last December.

Honourable mentions

• Stephanie Nampiina (Cricket)
• Halima Nambozo (Table Tennis)
• Phiona Mutesi (Chess)
• Flavia Oketcho (Basketball - for her longevity)
• Joyce Bako (Taekwondo)

• Sandra Nabweteme (Football)