USSSA Games: Why Bunyoro schools were banned

Four schools from Bunyoro - St. Adolf Tibeyalirwa, Masindi Army, Masindi SS, and Panyadoli - have been disqualified from the national USSSA football championship for fielding ineligible players.

The disqualified teams reached the semifinals of the Bunyoro zonal qualifiers, but investigations revealed they used players who did not meet the age requirements (U20) or were not bona fide students.

With the disqualifications, the Bunyoro zonal committee had to choose new representatives.

However, a planned mini-qualifying tournament early this week was deemed unnecessary as Kitara SS and Buhimba SS withdrew. This opened the door for Kabalega SS and St. Maliko SS, who lost in the quarterfinals, to take the remaining two slots as qualified teams without breaking a sweat.

Bunyoro powerhouses Kabalega SS, who will be in today's draw, are aiming to go all the way to the national games in Masaka. 

Having fallen short in the group stages last year at Fort Portal City, the team has been training in anticipation of a deeper run this time.

Determined to improve their previous performance, Kabalega will hit the road this Friday.

Alfred Bamuturaki, the school games teacher, expressed confidence in his squad.

"We're prepared to represent our zone well. This isn't our first rodeo, and we're going to Masaka to compete," Bamuturaki said.

No lengthy bans

The affected schools were only disqualified from this year’s championship and will be eligible to participate next year. In the past, schools would be handed lengthy bans.

Fred Kugonza, chairman of the Bunyoro Zone, explained their decision not to impose full bans.

"We don't want to stifle talent development. Banning schools for years means students lose the chance to compete throughout their studies," Kugonza said.

Chris Mugisha, chief executive officer of USSSA, emphasised their commitment to fair play.

"Ensuring fair play is our pledge in the USSSA Games. We're committed to preserving the integrity of the competition, safeguarding the spirit of sportsmanship, and fostering a level playing field for all," Mugisha said.

The issue of ineligible players seems to be persistent and it just wears a different mask every year.

Findings highlight common methods used by schools to field ineligible players. These often involve discrepancies between player documents like Fufa Connect registrations, National IDs, and school enrollment records. School administrators can use these systems to verify player eligibility.

Mugisha also mentions a worrying trend of some schools manipulating students' academic records to make them appear younger by making them re-sit Primary Seven.

There’s an instance in Kalangala where a games teacher was detained for using an overaged player which emphasises the need for stricter enforcement measures to deter such practices.

USSSA Bunyoro Zone

Quarterfinal results

Masindi 4-1 Buhimba

St Adolf 2-1 St Maliko

Kabalega 0-3 Masindi Army

Panyadoli 3-0 Kitara

Qualified schools: Kabalega SS & St Maliko