Luanda, Angola — Uganda’s young athletes delivered a series of strong performances at the 4th African Youth Games, bringing home medals and setting new personal and national records across multiple sports.
In table tennis, Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira and Jemimah Nakawala concluded their team events campaign with a bronze medal finish. Sebatindira fell 1-3 (09:11, 11:07, 09:11, 03:11), while Nakawala lost 2-3 (03:11, 11:07, 09:11, 12:10, 07:11). The duo’s effort earned praise as a commendable addition to Uganda’s medal tally.
Swimming also saw notable performances. Isaiah Kuc started his campaign with the 50m butterfly (boys), posting 27.37 seconds and finishing 9th overall out of 27, setting a new personal best. He then competed in the 200m freestyle, posting 2:06.93 in the heats to qualify for the finals, where he finished 8th with a time of 2:09.47. Coach Olivier Nalwadda said:
“He put up a good fight. Generally, the fact that he lowered his personal best times and managed to be top 10 in 2 of his races out of 3 is encouraging. In future, we can fix the loopholes to achieve even higher results.”
Suubi Peyton Mary improved her performance in the girls’ 200m breaststroke, posting 2:49.46 in the final, slightly better than her prelims time of 2:50.23, finishing 4th overall. She also competed in the girls’ 1500m freestyle, posting a new national long course record of 18:46.08, finishing 5th.
In athletics, Baskaline Cherotwo captured Uganda’s first silver medal at the Games in the U17 girls’ 1500m race with a time of 4:28.26.
Off the field, Uganda’s delegation received recognition for sustainability efforts. Dr Donald Rukare, President of the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC/CGU) and Commonwealth Sport, received a sustainability award from ANOCA on behalf of Uganda at the African Sports Facing Climate Challenges Forum.
Dr Rukare also visited Team Uganda in Luanda, congratulating athletes and encouraging them to maintain discipline and focus. “Team Uganda’s standout performances so far highlight the grit, talent, and heart our young athletes are showing on the continental stage. We couldn’t be prouder as a nation,” Dr Rukare said.
Uganda’s athletes continue to compete across multiple disciplines, demonstrating strong potential for future continental and global competitions.