2013 Kampala Open Champions:
Men: Ssalongo Asuman Bukenya
Women: Ritah Niniisma
In a typical Ganda setting, ‘Ssalongo’ is a title given to the father of twin children. Ssalongo Asuman Bukenya, 26, a pool player with Skin Samona Club is indeed a lucky father to two – Janet Babirye and Sulaiman Kato.
On Sunday, 22nd September 2013 at Capital Pub Kabalagala, Ssalongo yet acquired another title name, ‘The 2013 Kampala Pool King”. He achieved the feat after overcoming a strong field of over 256 male pool players from the different parts of the country, including Entebbe, Masaka, Jinja, Gulu and Mbale.
“I have always been playing with laxity at the major championships, but now, its my time to smile also with a trophy and some money”, remarked Bukenya, the current national seed 5 player.
In the ladies affair, Game City’s Ritah Ninisima emerged victor after a hard fought 5-4 victory over Vicky Namuyanja of the same club. She beat 32 other ladies who had registered for the tourney to bag the top cash prize of Ug Shs 500,000 and a trophy.
Close to 285 players including a member of Parliament, Odonga Otto and a deaf participant, Ivan Kanyesigye participated in the two day’s event which overwhelmed the organizers.
“I thank the players, the tournament organizing team, the media and all our partners, please keep up the legacy”, Pool President, Kisuze Wamala said in a brief speech before he handed over the prizes to the winners.
This year’s tourney, unlike the other events produced lots of surprises as many players who were expected to be at their best and progress till the later stages of the tournament only succumbed to pressure and lost out as early as the first round.
The country’s top seed, Alfred Gumikiriza was bundled out by Musa Bbali while two time Kampala open winner (2011 and 2012), Sula Matovu never escaped Fred Namanya’s jaws and so was Amos Ndyagumanawe, who lost it at the round of 16 players to Patrick Mujjuzi in 3 straight sets of the best of 5 games played.
2013 Easter Cup winner, Fahad Ssewankambo was another round one victim, Joseph Mutawe, the 2013 first runners’ up at the Nile Special Open Championships to winner Jona “Joker” Turigye ,(Joker missed the Championships for unclear reasons) Wasswa Kayiiya (lost 3-1 to Charles Ssegawa), Adam Ssebi (lost to the deaf, Ivan Kanyesigye), and Jeff Miiro, among others
In the ladies category, defending champion, and the reigning Pool Queen, Carol Kanzira, was eliminated in round one and so was the Easter champion (2013), Vivian Kagoye.
20 year old Eric ‘Akwii’ Drileba from Jinja was the revelation of the 2013 tournament, he played with compsure and finess up to the quater finals before he was bundled out by the losing finalist Oscar Ocacakon 4-2 sets.
This annual event was exclusively organized by the Pool Association of Uganda.
Selected Results:
Men:
Finals: Ssalongo Asuman Bukenya 6-3 Oscar Ocacakon
3rd Place: Fred Namanya 3-1 Charles Ssegawa
Semis:Oscar Ocacakon 5-2 Charles Ssegawa
Ssalongo Bukenya 5-2 Fred Namanya
Quater-finals:Eric Akwii 2-4 Oscar Ocacakon, Ronnie Kalungi 2-4 Charles Segawa, William Kanyesigye 2-4 Fred Namanya and Uthman Bukenya 4-2 Patrick Mujjuzi
Women:
Finals: Ritah Nisiima 5-4 Vicky Namuyanja
3rd Place: Zainabu Nambafu 3-0 Justine Nampembwa
Semi-finals: Zainabu Nambafu 0-4 Vicky Namuyanja,and Ritah Nisiima 4-0 Justine Nampembwa
Prizes:
Men:
Winner: 1,000,000/= and Troophy
1st Runners -up : 500,000/=
2nd Runners-up: 250,000/=
Women:
Winner: 500,000/= and Trophy
1st Runners -up: 250,000/=
2nd Runners -up: 150,000/=
Catch you next year at the 2014 Kampala Open Championships
