Prime
Legends never fade – Real Stars remind Akope
Akope (L) was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement award.
What you need to know:
Immortal. Deo Akope’s name has echoed across Uganda’s golf courses for over two decades, and now the UPGA chairman is glad his enduring efforts have not gone unnoticed. The legendary golfer, who has won literally everything, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the June Fortebet Real Stars Awards for his service to the game.
At 45, Deo Akope is still swinging his golf club with the agility of a teenager. His name evokes memories of legendary wins on Uganda’s oldest courses and now, his efforts have been immortalised with the Fortebet Real Stars Lifetime Achievement Award – a fitting tribute to a man who has dedicated over two decades to the sport his heart truly beats for.
“I am very much honoured to be here today,” Akope said with humility after receiving his award from Real Stars Awards CEO Isaac Mukasa and Nakawa East Member of Parliament Hon. Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo, the special guest at the ceremony held at Lazio Restaurant in Kololo on July 1 as one of those feted for standing out in the month June 2025.
“Some of us who are legends, we fade away and no one thinks about us after we retire. Thank you for not forgetting about us.”
Earlier days
Akope’s golf journey is as inspiring as it is humbling. Born in 1979, he started playing the game with cassava sticks in his childhood neighbourhood, far removed from the luxurious fairways he dominates today.
"We started playing golf using cassava sticks. As we speak, the sport has grown tremendously,” he said. “I have served the game as a player and coach. I appreciate the work the media is doing.”
His record speaks volumes. He won the Uganda Amateur Open thrice before turning professional and repeated the feat in the Uganda Professionals Open where he won it twice, a rare achievement few Ugandan golfers have ever matched.
He has also carried the national flag to the global stage, including representing Uganda at the Fortis International Golf World Cup Qualifier in Malaysia 2008 alongside Godfrey Mande, another immensely talented player who has since faded from public memory.
Staying afloat
But Akope has refused to fade. Just recently in May, he won the Absa Captain’s Bell Tournament for the second successive year showing that despite his advancing years, his game remains razor sharp.
“Golf is a good sport because at my age I can still play competitively,” he said with a smile. “Many of my age mates from other sports like basketball are not as competitive as I am.”
For Akope, this latest recognition was not just a personal victory, but a triumph for every young golfer dreaming from humble beginnings.
“I dedicate this award to the entire golfing fraternity. So many have supported me from when I started because I didn’t come from a rich family,” he said. “This award helps demystify the saying that golf is for rich people.”
His message to Uganda’s budding golfers was crisp and loaded with wisdom earned through years under the scorching sun on Uganda’s fairways: “To the youngsters out there, my advice is simple. Stay disciplined and such awards will come your way.”
Plea for sports infrastructure
Hon. Balimwezo used the moment to address a structural problem affecting sports development in Uganda. “It is very absurd to see the government selling off open spaces cheaply and then going on to buy expensive lands to put up sports facilities,” he said, calling for a reversal of the trend and urging for protection of all remaining public sports grounds.
Deo Akope swings. PHOTO/EDDIE CHICCO
He lauded Real Stars Sports Agency and sponsors Fortebet and Jude Colour Solutions for rewarding excellence and remembering icons like Akope, while calling upon more private companies to invest in such initiatives to uplift sports across Uganda.
The night also belonged to other stars who lit up June with outstanding performances. Uganda Christian University (UCU) Angels defender Linda Muzigo scooped the Netball Award after a stellar month in which her defensive displays guided UCU to a 48-37 win over UPDF and a 60-42 triumph over Busia. Even in their narrow 37-33 loss to defending champions NIC, she was the standout player.
June’s finest stars
“I am glad to win this award. The entire team are winners,” Muzigo said. “It is a motivation factor. We have only lost one game to NIC and even that was a good game despite losing.”
In basketball, Frank Nyembo Fataki of Sommet Basketball Club outclassed Hope Akello of JKL Lady Dolphins and Peter Akok of KIU Titans to claim the award. Fataki averaged 21 points across five games in June, picking 57 rebounds and orchestrating wins over KIU Titans (92-73), Kampala Rockets (85-81), City Oilers (90-87), and JKL Dolphins Men (68-64), only falling to KCCA Panthers. His brilliance lifted Sommet to sixth place with 27 points in 17 games.
Peruth Chemutai, Uganda’s Olympic champion, claimed the Athletics Award after winning silver in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Paris Diamond League, clocking a seasonal best 8:54.41, narrowly behind Kenya’s Faith Cherotich who won in 8:53.37.
But the night belonged to Akope, the 45-year-old golf stalwart who continues to teach the young, inspire the old, and remind everyone that longevity is a trophy in itself. “I have done everything in golf,” he said, beaming with pride. “But tonight also reminds me that the journey is not over yet. I still have ambitions on the courses of Uganda and abroad.”
Fortebet Real Stars Awards
June 2025 Award Winners
Athletics: Peruth Chemutai
Netball: Linda Muzigo
Basketball: Frank Nyembo Fataki
Lifetime Achievement Award: Deo Akope (Golf)
AKOPE AT A GLANCE
Full Name: Deo Akope
Date of Birth: October 10, 1979
Started Playing: 1990
Amateur Titles: Major Wins (Uganda Open 2000, 2001 & 2002), Tanzania Open (2004), (Rwanda Open 2003 & 2004), (Trans Nzoia Championships Kenya 2003) and many local Opens.
Turned Professional: 2006
Professional Wins: Over 40 local wins but major wins; (Uganda Open 2006 & 2014), (KCB East African Tour - Arusha 2010), (KCB East African Tour - Kampala 2011), & (Safari Tour - Nyali Mombasa 2021)
Best Score: 61 unofficial but also UGC Kitante Course Record of 63
Tee-Shot Average: 270
Fairway Percentage: 85%
Current Club: UGC
Kit: Taylormade P7MC
National Team Career: Team Captain from 2003-2005
National Coach: 2006-2008 & 2013-2014
Role Model: Tiger Woods
Motto: Never Say Never
