Eastern Cup to raise Ebonga recovery funds

Jinja Hippos captain Maxwell Ebonga stormed the local rugby scene last season with scintillating performances that saw him top the top scorers’ chart in the league as he led the Jinja City side to an unprecedented fourth finish.

His exploits caught the eyes of the national team XVs coaches Bobby Musinguzi and Brian Makalama who called him up for the Africa Rugby Cup. 

He was handed his official debut in the Rugby Cranes win over Ghana onJuly 11 at Kyadondo.  He also scored a penalty against Algeria as Uganda progressed to the quarterfinals.

Ebonga was called up for the Rugby 7s national team in August but that was not to be; he suffered a career-threatening injury, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while training for his club.

Key-hole surgery
“A series of MRI scans and x-rays were done and he was advised to undergo a key-hole surgery,” Jinja Hippos chairman Jonan Manzi confirmed. 

OJ, as he is commonly known underwent the surgery in Nairobi, Kenya and is back home undergoing the recovery process.

Jinja Hippos have catered for all of the costs so far, such as scans, transport, physiotherapy, consultations, specialist braces and crutches among others.

About the tournament 

However, while the club will do everything it can to help, we ask for some support to rehabilitate him fully because rugby in Uganda is still an amateur sport and OJ is a student.

Dedication. As part of the activities to raise funds, the club in conjunction with the Eastern Region Rugby Union has dedicated the proceedings in this year’s Eastern Giants Cup that will be played between Hippos and Mbale. 

Elephants to the course. The match will kick off in the afternoon at Hippos’ Dams Waters Ground
moments after the Eastern Region’s Under-13 and under-17s boys’ and
girls’ events.