St Catherine wins inaugural mind games competition

MUKONO. St Catherine Junior School, Sonde in Mukono municipality, emerged winners of the inaugural primary schools mind games and swimming competitions it hosted.

The competitions, organised by Mukono municipal council in association with Mukono Municipality Schools Sports Association (Mumussa), also attracted Cornerstone Junior School, Ngandu Primary School, Treasured Kids Nest School, Destiny Kindergarten and Destiny Preparatory School, Lumuli.

The schools were initially expected to compete in scrabble, draft, ludo, chess, and swimming, but only participated in the latter three, with St Catherine winning ludo and swimming, while Treasured Kids Nest School won in chess.

Overall, St Catherine emerged first, followed by Treasured Kids Nest School and Cornerstone Junior School.

However, all participants walked away with certificates, while each of the top three schools got a trophy and three winners’ medals.

The former vice president (technical) of the Scrabble Association of Uganda, Ivan Gilbert Ssentongo, said pupils of St Catherine Junior School spent one-and-a-half years practising scrabble, unlike other participating schools.

“It would therefore be unfair for them to be pitted against St Catherine Junior School to play scrabble. I, however, encourage the other schools to take up the game and have coaching sessions,” he said.

The head teacher of St Catherine Junior School, Ms Annette Mutyaba, said all the schools in the municipality were invited for the games, but she was “thrilled” by her school’s performance.

“Schools need to take up these mind games because most schools had no player of scrabble; so, we decided to allow our pupils to hold practice sessions with them,” she said.

Candidate Master, Fide trainer and five-time Olympiad, Mr Ronald Lwebuga, who oversaw the chess competition, described as “a great experience” having children from different schools across Mukono municipality representing in chess and other mind games.

“The competitions were brief because of time, but we have had Treasured Kids Nest School dominating the game of chess; they have defeated our host (St Catherine Junior School) and also Destiny Preparatory School, Lumuli.

“It is a very good thing to have young players getting into the game of chess because it sharpens their minds, increases their critical thinking, mathematics, discipline and so many other things. I encourage many other schools to embrace the game,” Lwebuga added.

The inspector of schools in Mukono municipality in-charge of central division,  Doreen Nakitto, said the turn-up wasn’t good because of short notice, despite mobilising all the 115 schools in the municipality.

“Tell your administrators, through your respective sports masters, that these competitions have started and we are going to continue with them because it is required,” she told the participants at a briefing ahead of the start of the competitions.

She added: “We want to see not less than 15 games in our schools; parents have to take part by producing costumes and some of the finances for the pupils to take part in the games.”

She further explained that the municipality has no swimming pool of its own, but has plans for one and a stadium so that such games are held there.

“By hosting us, St Catherine has saved us money for hiring swimming pools from hotels to effect this exercise,” she added.