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Pool King/Queen qualifiers an eye opener
Gideon Bwanika will be favourite as the Pool King and Queen qualifiers conclude at his home venue. PHOTO/GEORGE KATONGOLE
What you need to know:
The qualifiers saw both known strong players and exciting newcomers advance.
The Pool King/Queen qualifiers, a new nationwide event this year, surprised many. Held since 2009, first as the Pool Queen before the men’s version of the Pool King was introduced in 2021, this year’s decision to hold qualifiers has been heartwarming.
The qualifiers saw both known strong players and exciting newcomers advance. Popular names like Ibrahim "Musiraamu" Kayanja and rising stars like Bob Kateregga competed alongside qualifiers from all regions.
The tournament helped unearth hidden talent with Mukono’s women qualifiers; Lucky Namugenyi and Serena Ogumushabe, for instance, all appearing at the national final for the first time.
With qualifiers done, the stage is set for the grand finale in Jinja this weekend on June 21-22.
Significant growth
13 venues across the country hosted the two-day qualifying events attracting 654 players, 133 of whom were women.
Donald Ampumuza, the Tournament Secretary of the Pool Association of Uganda said this was a milestone in professionalising pool in Uganda.
"When we decided to hold qualifiers, it was an unpopular decision," Ampumuza said on Saturday after the conclusion of the qualifiers at Upper Volta in Kasubi."But when you look at the numbers, even though we operated below the expected capacity, there's great potential."
Citing the previous Grand Open championship where 64 men and 32 women took part in the final tournament held L'Amour Lounge in Kansanga, Ampumuza said qualifiers have allowed them to attract big numbers of participants.
"This has allowed us to be able to document our presence across the country," Ampumuza said.
Normally, Kampala-based women take part in the national events but this year Kitgum took the lead with a record 34 women in the qualifiers. Yet even at the Were Beri Arena in Kireka, which was given three qualifying slots, only 11 women took part. Masaka, one of the most popular areas for pool, had just six women compete for the available six slots. Mityana, a venue so close to the city had only 13 men taking part in their qualifiers.
"The qualifiers lay bare a significant gender gap, highlighting the need for increased inclusivity. We must work towards initiatives that encourage more women to participate in the sport," said Ampumuza.
To enable more participation, the registration fees for women were Shs10,000 while men contributed Shs20,000.
Pool Queen/King qualifiers
Venue Men Women
Mbarara 32 6
Fort Portal 29 8
Mityana 13 8
Gulu 53 8
Jinja 63 12
Mukono 32 10
Kireka 64 11
Masaka 32 6
Entebbe 32 16
Kitgum 64 24
Mbale 48 8
Kasese 30 8
Upper Volta 29 8
