Thunders growing by leaps and bounds

Thunders are loving their experience in the National Hockey League (NHL).

The first timers have two teams - one for the women and the other for men - and although there has been little to celebrate so far, nothing is going to dampen their mood.

"We are happy with our journey and the players are excited to get here," their coach and architect of this journey Richard Mugalu told Daily Monitor.

Mugalu started this hockey project in 2011 at Bright Primary School, Kawempe. And although there were hardly any primary school events to test his players, he soldiered on - sometimes getting opportunities for them to play against Innocent Mbabali's Hope for Sports Hockey Academy. 

Around 2017, he started to appear with some of his players as students and representatives of Kawempe Muslim SS.

But the school has its interests in other disciplines like women's football. 

On reading the mood, Mugalu and his troupes moved to Kyaddondo SS, where they found a willing partner in headmaster and rally driver Ismail Waliggo. At times they appeared for Uganda Hockey Association (UHA) competitions as Thunders.

In 2020, Kyaddondo which is now the base that Thunders rely on to grow won the Kampala Hockey Club (KHC) Schools' Festival at Gayaza High School to show they were here for the long haul.

Last month, the school hosted the Festival and finished second as part of their preparations to compete at the Uganda Secondary Schools Association (USSSA) Games due in Mbarara in May.

Club hockey

On March 6, Thunders' journey came full circle when they made their debut in the National Hockey League (NHL).

"As the players grew older, they felt it would be right for them to keep playing and developing as a unit in a sport they love," Mugalu said.

His girls have been on the receiving end of a baptism by fire in a league that is very cruel on first timers. They lost 12-0 to Deliverance Church on the opening weekend then lost to Wananchi Hockey Dreams Foundation (HDF) 7-0 on Saturday.

The boys, however, put up a spirited fight in a 2-0 opening loss to City Lions and they showed they were learning quick lessons when beat Weatherhead Titans 3-2 on Sunday owing to goals from Mohamed Babu, Amri Sseruwagi and Hameem Kasule. Godwin Murungi and Vincent Kasasa scored for Titans.

"The players want to improve. When we lost the other weekend, they vowed to show they had learned and we are happy to win this weekend," Mugalu added.

Of course, there will be tougher weekends during the season but there is nothing Thunders are not braced for.

Thunders at a Glance 
Club: Thunders
Base: Kyaddondo SS
Coach: Richard Mugalu
Started: 2011
*Started as Bright Primary School, Kawempe project
*Went to Kawempe Muslim SS
*Settled at Kyaddondo SS
League debut: 2023

NHL RESULTS
M: Rockets 3-1 Badgers
W: Wananchi HDF 7-0 Thunders
M: KHC Stallions 3-1 Makerere University
W: Makerere University 0-0 Deliverance Church 
W: KHC Swans 3-0 WHD Historicals
M: City Lions 0-7 Weatherhead
M: Wananchi 16-0 KHC Originals
W: Wananchi 1-1 Weatherhead
M: WHD Titans 2-3 Thunders