Dream Team `Systems Work’ to Nacoba Gold

The annual Namilyango College Old Boys (NACOBA) Sports Gala is known for resurfacing cohort rivalries from school days, giving the event a taste of fierce but healthy competition across various disciplines.

The 14th edition of the meet at Makerere University Business School (Mubs) sports grounds had all cohorts eager to excel. 

Football, volleyball, basketball, relays, scrabble, chess, sack race and table tennis were all on the menu but for any class to earn the overall bragging rights, a certain level of coordination was required.

Overall winners of the Guinness-powered showpiece, Dream Team, class of 2003-2008 ticked all the boxes to distance themselves from the rest of the pack. 

They showed up in numbers and had a say in every discipline to accumulate the highest points. Chairman Derrick Onek credits the feat to a working system. 

“We put in place a structure to steer all the systems towards winning this competition and it has paid off handsomely. The management prepared with a target which we nailed as a group effort,” Onek said.

The Dream Team managed bronze in basketball, sack race football and chess. 

They also won silver in athletics and rugby. Fourth place in table tennis also came with extra points, enough to win everything. Football coach Polly Karihango was happy with what he saw despite falling short at the semifinal stage. 

“We were unlucky with the spot kicks in the semis, before that we had comfortably won all our games. A lot of positives were picked,” he said.

About 1500 revelers and alumni from 18 cohorts showed up to give the day's clout.

The class of 1980-1986 was the oldest lot to participate while 2016-2022 was the youngest. The latter’s athleticism got them winning football and rugby.

Namilyango College Old Boys' Association 

Standings 

Gold: Dream Team (2003-2008)

Silver: Tyrants (2010-2015)

Bronze: The Knights (2017-2022)