Jaguars devour fighting Sharks in kabaddi final

Sharks players take down a Jaguars raider during the finale of the Kabaddi League. PHOTO/GEORGE KATONGOLE 

What you need to know:

Season one women winners Angels, returned to the podium with a thumping performance defeating defending champions Hustlers 34-13 in a lopsided final.

Without Douglas Mulalira and Shafiq Katamba, many would have predicted a dull final of the third season of the Uganda Kabaddi League. They were totally wrong!

A perfectly balanced final between two teams that have dominated the headlines since the Kabaddi League was introduced last year, served the spectators a thrilling finale of the month-long action.

Separated by fine margins, War Jaguars defeated Sharks 65-61 to defend their title in the final at Fast sports Fusion arena in Bugoloobi on Tuesday night and claim a Shs2m cash prize.

Season one women winners Angels, returned to the podium with a thumping performance defeating defending champions Hustlers 34-13 in a lopsided final.

James Ssengendo, the eventual MVP, was the thorn in the flesh of Sharks as he yielded a huge success raid rate. Leading in 30 raids, Ssengendo managed 32 points, almost half of the team’s share.

“I have been looking towards getting the MVP award and I have been in top form,” says the 33-year-old.

Although he overshadowed the statistics table for War Jaguars, Nasif Kigozi is cutting his teeth in the national team after putting up a sublime performance of his own for Sharks. The youngster managed 19 points of his own Mubarak Wandeka (11) and Mubarak Ambonya (four) as promising talents.

There were some feisty tackles and some really good raids.

Exciting

It was a great improvement tactically and this shows how much kabaddi has progressed in less than 10 years.

“There is a great improvement in most aspects of the game and I think with the kabaddi league, we shall soon be a force to reckon with in international competitions,” Edgar Mujuni, the chief executive of the Uganda Kabaddi Federation, said.

Three teams; Kitara, Jinja and Nile were included in the exciting third season to make 12 teams instead of 10 serving fans a mammoth 136 matches since March 1.

The league, which is run by the federation in conjunction with Indian online TV app Fancode, will take a two-month’s break to pave the way for the women's championship.

UGANDA KABADDI LEAGUE SEASON 3

Women finals

Hustlers 13-34 Angels

Men finals

War Jaguars 65-61 Sharks

Individual winners – women

Best raider: Olivia Nalubega (Eaglets)

Best defender: Jemimah Zalwango (Angels)

MVP: Scovia Namukumbe (Angels)

Individual winners – men

Best raider: Jonathan Tumusiime (Colothians)

Best defender: Isma Ngobi (War Jaguars)

MVP: James Ssengendo (War Jaguars)