After five action-packed days at Muteesa I Royal University in Masaka, Makerere University Business School (Mubs) emerged the best university side at the 2025 Annual Disability Sports Gala.
Mubs gathered valuable points from athletics, ball games, combat games, archery among others. In showdown, Bright Nuwasiima emerged the MVP after scoring 33 goals and gathered six points after winning all his three games against Makerere’s Muzafaru Isabirye, Gulu University’s John Ocira and Kyambogo’s Rogers Ojok in a round robin format.
Gulu came third on three points, Makerere third on two points, while Kyambogo picked no points after losing all their games.
In the females’ category, Makerere’s Resty Nantamba picked the MVP gong but again, Mubs took gold thanks to Charity Joy Chebet who scored 39 goals and fetched five points.
Nantamba took silver, Gulu’s Josephine Akidi picked bronze and Kyambogo, once again, picked no point, despite scoring 36 goals through Rachel Namara.
In goalball, Mubs took bronze following a 1-1 in their last game with sister university Makerere. Fred Lubangkene struck in the second half, piling pressure on Makerere, who had won their two games prior. Makerere eventually equalised through Paul Kakooza to win gold, relegating Gulu to a silver medal position.
Mubs picked more points from athletics. Daisy Denise got gold in 100m and 400m, plus silver in javelin.
Lubangkene got men’s 100m gold while Jimmy Innocent bagged 400m gold. Mubs also took ladies gold in the 1500m, while the men got silver.
In field events, Mubs dominated the podium with Basham Ali bagging the men’s shotput gold while Chebet and Mauvis Apia shared gold and silver in the women’s category. Makerere’s Miriam Awino settled for bronze.
Mubs’ Bruno Wandera won gold archery and badminton and silver in table tennis. The university picked silver in judo and bronze in blind football.
‘It’s been a successful tournament for us. Yes, the major aim is participation and each of our athletes have participated in at least three disciplines. But winning is equally important. It adds a spice to the participation,’ Mubs head coach Ali Zinda told Daily Monitor before being announced overall university champs on Friday evening. ‘We have picked gold medals, silver and bronze in different sports disciplines. We have also won trophies in different categories.’
Hornby High School were the ultimate champions in the secondary school category, while Gulu emerged the best among communities.
The annual gala is the biggest multisport expo for disability sports in Uganda and has since 2010 rotated in different districts and regions. But Uganda Paralympic Committee president Bumali Mpindi believes the numbers should be bigger if districts prioritise disability sport through inclusive budgeting.
‘Competition for medals and trophies isn’t the primary goal of this event. It’s participation and talent identification,’ Mpindi told us on the sidelines of the closing ceremony.
‘You have seen the excitement among the children; that invaluable feeling of ‘I too can make it like the others, after all I’m not the only one disabled’ is what we want to evoke. It drags that child from the despair of disability to look at life with ambition. Success stories begin with opportunities.’
Mpindi, who also represents persons with disabilities in parliament, reminded the government. ‘There are many persons with disabilities with a passion for sports. And their disciplines are also many, but some teams leave before the competitions end because their budgets are slim. How I wish the UPC could cover a huge chunk of their budget. But we can’t because we are also underfunded. The government should know that the athletes who raise our flag abroad begin here.’
OVERALL WINNERS
UNIVERSITIES
Mubs 102 pts
Gulu 79
Makerere 56
Kyambogo 49
SECONDARY SHOOLS
Hornby High School 112 pts
Gulu High School 104
Mvara SS 82
COMMUNITIES
Gulu 79 pts
Nwoya 65
Kampala 62
MUBS SELECT GOLD MEDALLISTS
Jimmy Innocent (400m)
Joy Chebet (shotput)
Basham Ali (shotput)
Daisy Denise (100m, 400m)
Fred Lubangkene (100m)
Bruno Wandera (archery)
Bright Nuwasiima (showdown)