Uganda in cruise control

ENTEBBE- Waiting for sunshine took up to midday as strong waves kept washing up the sands at Spenah and Peniel Beach in Entebbe.
But that didn’t seem to bother the determined Uganda team yesterday as they dominated the men’s stroke competition at the ongoing Beach Woodball World Cup.

The trio of Bridge Byamukama, Timothy Suuna and Joel Adupa were tied on 20 points at the end of the first round occupying the podium places.

Suuna, a member of the youth team, surprised even himself as much as Adupa, a bronze medallist in 2017, was disturbed.

Adupa fumbled with the ball on the opening fairway and had to make a quick recovery to keep his hopes of an individual medal.

“I had some bit of pressure but I am happy I tried to harmonise my poor start with a strong finish,” Adupa, a civil engineer with International Modern Construction in Kamwokya, said. He added that normally in training he has been scoring between 15 and 16 strokes on the same course but was quick to add that he was happy a team gold remains in the sight.

Ladies group tight
Chinese Taipei player Zhon Pei-Qi carries a one-stroke advantage over Uganda’s Rose Sandra Nabaggala with 22 strokes.Denise Nanjeru, who was visibly weak as she is recovering from a bout of malaria, is third, four strokes behind Pei-Qi. She is tied with Chinese Taipei’s Liu Kai Chi on 25 points while Joyce Nalubega is sixth and Joan Mukoova a distant 10th. “We have more games and I know I will keep pushing for the top places,” Nanjeru said.

Going for gold
Head coach Onesmus Atamba is impressed with the performance saying it was a deserved. “We worked for it,” he said. “It is a good lead and we must maintain it.”

Sharing knowledge
On the sidelines of the three-in-one event that also combines the Uganda and Africa Open, a workshop aiming at mapping the sport’s growth is being held.International Woodball Federation (IWbF) vice president Thomas Kok emphasised participating teams to find permanent woodball courses.”You must identify your own course to have more people participate,” he said stressing that a small country like Malaysia has more than 50 courses on international standards. Uganda is yet to get a home with pleas to government to help the governing body secure the up for sale Peniel Beach land still in vain.

Up Next
Action will continue today with the fairway competition for singles, doubles and mixed doubles while the Uganda Open will also kick off on grass side of the beach before Thursday’s closure.

BEACH WOODBALL
SELECTED RESULTS
Stroke - men
*Bridge Byamukama - Uganda (20)
*Timothy Suuna - Uganda (20)
*Joel Adupa - Uganda (20)
*Wang Qi-An - Chinese Taipei (22)
*6. Geoffrey Towong - Uganda (23)
*10. Thomas Kedi - Uganda (24)
Women
*Zhon Pei-Qi - Chinese Taipei (21)
*Rose S. Nabaggala - Uganda (22)
*Denise Nanjeru - Uganda (25)
*Liu Kai Chi - Chinese Taipei (25)
*6. Rose Nalubega - Uganda (26)
*10. Joan Mukoova - Uganda (27)