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By George Katongole
Airforce Secondary School Entebbe reaffirmed their dominance in school woodball after winning the boys’ title, while St Mark’s College Namagoma ended years of near misses by capturing a historic girls’ championship at the 2026 USSSA Ball Games II in Gulu City.
While Airforce’s triumph was expected following an impressive campaign, Namagoma’s victory emerged as one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
With defending champions Mpoma Girls School absent, the girls’ competition was wide open. Traditional powerhouses Mengo Secondary School and Luzira Secondary School entered the championship among the favourites, while St Joseph’s Secondary School Naggalama relied on one of Uganda’s finest young woodball players, Precious Priscilla Namubiru.
However, it was St Mark’s College Namagoma that held their nerve in a dramatic Fairway Team final played at Gulu University School of Medicine.
Leading 4-1, Namagoma looked destined for victory before Naggalama mounted a spirited comeback. Naggalama needed to win the final four fairways in the doubles contest to force a turnaround, but another tied fairway ended their hopes, handing Namagoma a 2-1 victory and their first-ever national woodball title.
“It’s been a long time coming. We have always tried but failed to break into the elite. Today we are national champions, and this is a proud moment for our school,” said St Mark’s College Namagoma sports teacher, Shanaaz Luwedde.
Airforce Dominate Boys’ Competition
The boys’ final proved far less dramatic as Airforce completed a commanding tournament with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Mbarara High School to reclaim the national title and dethrone defending champions Mengo Secondary School.
Airforce’s route to the championship included a convincing semifinal victory over Ntare School before comfortably overcoming Mbarara High in the final.
Luzira Secondary School settled for bronze after defeating Ntare School in the third-place playoff.
Airforce’s dominance extended to the Stroke Singles competition, where Mark Mufuwa Muwanguzi claimed gold with an outstanding score of 44 strokes.
In the girls’ Stroke Singles event, Luzira Secondary School’s Emily Tasumba emerged champion after returning 49 strokes, finishing ahead of Naggalama’s Precious Priscilla Namubiru and St Mark’s College Namagoma’s Olivet Bridget Natumanya.
Despite missing out on the team title, Luzira Games Mistress Annet Nandegeya praised her team’s performance.
“The competition was very tough and every school came well prepared. Although we missed the team championship, we are proud that Emily Tasumba won the girls’ Stroke Singles title. It motivates us to continue working even harder,” Nandegeya said.
Woodball Offers Equal Opportunities
The championship was officially closed by the Commissioner for Physical Education and Sports in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Rev. Canon Dr Duncan Mugumya, who urged schools across the country to continue embracing emerging sports such as woodball.
He noted that so-called minority sports offer learners the same opportunities as traditional disciplines, including eligibility for the Government Sports Talent Scheme, through which outstanding athletes can earn a four-point bonus during admission to public universities.
Fairway Team FinalsBoysAirforce Secondary School 3-0 Mbarara High SchoolGirlsSt Mark’s College Namagoma 2-1 St Joseph’s Secondary School NaggalamaStroke Singles ResultsBoysGold: Mark Mufuwa Muwanguzi (Airforce Secondary School) – 44 strokesSilver: Aksam Ssewante (Kyamate Secondary School) – 46 strokesBronze: Shanion Kato (Jinja College) – 47 strokesGirlsGold: Emily Tasumba (Luzira Secondary School) – 49 strokesSilver: Precious Priscilla Namubiru (St Joseph’s Secondary School Naggalama) – 50 strokesBronze: Olivet Bridget Natumanya (St Mark’s College Namagoma) – 54 strokes
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