Woodball get Real Star nod at November awards
What you need to know:
- At the awards dominated by women athletes, only sensational cricketer Riazat Ali Shah and Jacob Kiplimo represented the male athletes at the podium during a ceremony at Route 256 Restaurant on Wednesday.
It was a thumping victory for woodball as the game, similar to golf but without the use of iron and steel to hit the target ball, was recognised for the first time since the awards inception in 2019.
Florence Mukoya, who won the stroke competition in the women singles at the Africa Woodball Championship held in Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi, Kenya, broke the duck as woodball was recognised along six others.
The 25-year-old managed 158 strokes which were instrumental in lifting Team Uganda to women gold and an individual singles medal. Teammate Joan Mukoova scored 162 while Christine Birungi 172 strokes to strike team gold in overall rankings.
Mukoya went on to pair with Ronald Mulindwa in the mixed doubles to win her second individual gold medal.
"It was scary at first. I had never heard of these awards before. But when it sunk in that I had won, I realised that the performance in Kenya was outstanding. I thank God because I had a flawless outing with my teammates. I also thank the Uganda Woodball Federation for the efforts to take us to Nairobi under tough conditions as well as my employers Centenary Bank Bweyale branch for granting me leave to go and particpiate," said Mukoya, a Makerere University Business School player.
She beat national teammates Thomas Keddi and Joan Mukoova to the prestigious monthly award that comes with a plaque engraved by Jude Colour Solutions and a cash prize courtesy of Forte Bet.
Keddi formed the cornerstone of the men’s side powering to the fairway singles gold after the men’s team played second best to Kenya in the stroke competition. He beat Kenyan Philemon Ahami 5-3 in the final for gold.
In the mixed competition, Keddi won bronze after pairing with Israel Muwanguzi.
The national women team captain Mukoova, earned gold in the fairway competition after overcoming Kenyan opponent Louise Mungai 5-4. She was also a silver medalist in the women doubles.
Paul Mark Kayongo, the president and founder of woodball in Uganda, was excited with the awards.
"These awards are an amazing experience. The awards gala is an art of appreciation which is a good gesture to atheletes because they feel appreciated. It gives them extra energy and zeal to participate in sports and are motivated to excel in their sports disciplines and this positively impacts on performance," said Kayongo, who also doubles as the president of African woodball.
Women at the fore
At the awards dominated by women athletes, only sensational cricketer Riazat Ali Shah and Jacob Kiplimo represented the male athletes at the podium during a ceremony at Route 256 Restaurant on Wednesday.
Consistent displays during the Uganda Golf Ladies Open in Entebbe, earned Irene Nakalembe another accolade while the star in footballer Fauziah Najjemba the Uganda Women U20 captain, who is also nominated for 2021 Airtel Fufa Women Football Player of the year awards, continued to shine. Elizabeth Rukundo, a paralympic athlete Ruth Meeme completed the women dominance.
Meeme, who was a standout player in the Pent Series as Uganda finished second at the 2021 Africa Netball Cup said it best stressing the award is an inspiration to the girls striving to make a life out of sports.
"This is a big honour, it surely means a lot and I hope to inspire the girl child out there. The award is not mine alone because it was a team performance," she stressed.
ForteBet Real Stars Awards
November Winners
Woodball – Florence Mukoya
Golf – Irene Nakalembe
Athletics – Jacob Kiplimo
Football – Fauziah Najjemba
Para Badminton – Elizabeth Rukundo
Cricket – Riazat Ali Shah
Netball – Ruth Meeme
