Univ of Kisubi, Public Service mark golden start

On a rain-soaked pitch at Nakawa where an afternoon shower rendered some fairways tough to play, it was University of Kisubi combined effort that saw them win the first corporate woodball circuit at Makerere University Business School (Mubs) grounds in Nakawa.

New entrants, the Ministry of Public Service, won the women’s category.

A combined score of 201 strokes is all that Kisubi needed to send Zoe and Ndejje to second and third place with 217 and 220 strokes, respectively.

Ssalongo Raymond Semata was Kisubi’s star player with a superb finish of 99 strokes in the senior corporates category and a gold in the doubles. His effort was complemented by Jackson Masiga, who scooped bronze.

Godfrey Bukenya, the head of sports at the Catholic-founded university was thrilled with the performance but he said it is a performance they deserved.

“Our players have been training very hard for this event and we got some new additions which have boosted our team performance in the doubles,” Bukenya said stressing that they will stop at nothing from retaining the title they won last season.

New-look Public Service thrill

The Ministry of Public Service, a team that is changing the narrative of woodball, had great additions that saw them win the women's title. But all eyes were on experienced Phiona Namata, who edged Noeline Nalwoga Babirye by two points in the senior corporate category with 112 strokes. Veteran Rose Matovu was third on 115.

It is such performance that saw them come on top of the women rankings with 253 strokes sending Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) to second place with 263 points. Kisubi were third.

Peter Mutyaba and Beborah Omoding, were the other new players that boosted their doubles challenge while Patience Ainembabazi took it upon herself to win the corporates category with 59 strokes, just one ahead of Kisubi’s Madrine Namubiru.

Tight sieve

It’s a catch 22 situation for William Osire, the acting technical manager of the federation.

Osire says they need to weed out competitive players from the corporate class but the situation is tricky.

“We are serious about having only corporate people playing in the league but we also need numbers,” Osire, whose committee received four petitions including of a player, who recently featured in the East African University Games as being ineligible.

The move has already affected university teams that used to field players, some of whom are part-time employees.

However, good practices such as subscription and licensing, which could be adapted, are still troubling Osire, who is in acting responsibility in the place of John Bosco Kaddu. Some of these amendments were not passed by the general assembly and may have to wait.

But the fact that some teams also come without uniforms is a growing practice that must be highlighted by Osire’s committee.

“We have to ensure that teams put on their uniforms regularly and we will make the team managers aware of the benefits of corporate branding,” he said.

The next outing will be at the beach in Bunjakko, Wakiso District in April.

WOODBALL: FIRST CORPORATE CIRCUIT

Senior corporate – men

Raymond Semata – UNIK (99)

Caleb Kiiza – Ndejje (102)

Jackson Masiga – UNIK (106)

Senior corporate – women

Phiona Namata – MoPS (112)

Noeline Nalwoga – UNIK (114)

Rose Matovu – Ndejje (115)

Corporates – men

Eric Enabu – Uneb (45)

Michael Musaasizi – UNIK (49)

Nicholas Kisekka – UNIK (50)

Corporates – women

Patience Ainembabazi – MoPS (59)

Madrine Namubiru – UNIK (60)

Musa Kifaya – Zoe (62)