Uganda’s men’s team produced a sublime show of skill and composure at the ongoing Ultimate Africa Pool Championships, sweeping all three of their group matches to top the pool unbeaten.
The men began their campaign with a commanding 20-5 victory over Namibia A, followed by a narrow 15-10 triumph against Namibia B before sealing the group with an 18-7 win over Mchana (Kenya).
Team talisman Caesar Chandiga was in imperious form, registering a flawless five-out-of-five against Namibia and dropping only a single frame in each of the other two encounters.
Azali Lukomwa also impressed, losing just three frames out of 15, while Simon Lubuulwa battled hard but fell in two games on what was otherwise a good day for the Ugandan men.
Head coach Nathan Bwakosya lauded his team’s discipline and confidence.
‘The boys have been clinical from the start,’ he said. ‘I’m happy with the decision-making and composure,’ he said.
The quarterfinals will be played on Thursday evening before all games climax on Saturday. Last evening, the singles took centrestage.
Narrow miss
However, Uganda’s women’s team fell short of reaching the quarterfinals after enduring a tough group stage, losing to South Africa C (8-17), South Africa B (9-16), and Namibia (1-24). Their campaign ended despite spirited performances, as results elsewhere confirmed their exit.
Kenya’s hopes, meanwhile, lay on the shoulders of Fahad Farah and Collins Tuwei. Farah won his respective frame to level matters 12-12 before Tuwei clinched the decider after his Namibian opponent snookered himself on the black, gifting Kenya the eighth and final quarterfinal spot ahead of Uganda-despite Uganda’s 24-1 demolition of Namibia’s Windhoek Jackpot in a lopsided contest.
Despite the heartbreak, Bwakosya remained upbeat about the women’s and overall team performance.
‘This is a learning curve for the ladies. The competition is tough, but we’ve seen flashes of promise. We’ll bounce back stronger in the singles,’ he said.
The tournament now shifts focus to the singles events, where Uganda is expected to shine-particularly through Chandiga, who will face Africa’s best in pursuit of continental glory.
Ultimate Africa Pool Championships
Results
Men’s results
Uganda 20-5 Namibia A
Namibia B 10-15 Uganda
Uganda 18-7 Mchana (Kenya)
Women’s results
Uganda 8-17 South Africa C
South Africa B 16-9 Uganda
Namibia 24-1 Uganda