Brasília — Uganda Christian University (UCU) has made history at the 2025 FISU 3×3 Basketball World Cup in Brazil, becoming the first African university to reach the semifinals of the global tournament and going on to claim a bronze medal after a thrilling run.
The Lady Canons delivered a landmark performance that has elevated African university basketball on the world stage. Their semifinal qualification already marked a continental first, but they went a step further by securing a podium finish.
In the third-place playoff, UCU edged out Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China) with an 18–15 victory to seal the bronze medal. The win capped off a remarkable campaign powered by standout displays from Tracy Namugosa, Sheila Lamunu, Martina Anyango, and Sylvia Nantongo.
The team’s breakthrough came after a strong 20–16 win over the University of Valencia (Spain) in the quarterfinals, where Tracy Namugosa scored 7 points and Shillah Lamunu added 6, propelling the Lady Canons into the semifinals for the first time in African university sports history.
The Federation of African University Sports (FASU) hailed the achievement, celebrating UCU as “#FASU3X3 Champions & #FISU3X3 Bronze Medalists” and applauding the team for raising the bar for African university basketball.
“UCU raised the African University Sports Basketball bar high by becoming the first ever African University to make it to the semi-finals of #FISU3X3.”
Tracy Namugosa was recognised as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2025 FISU University World Cup 3×3 Basketball.
The bronze medal marks one of Uganda’s and Africa’s biggest moments in global university sports, cementing UCU’s status as a rising powerhouse in 3×3 basketball. UCU’s historic podium finish is expected to inspire a new generation of university athletes across the continent.
