After one-and-a-half months of the first round qualification, the regional qualifiers of the Nile Special National Pool Open will cue off this weekend at five different districts of the Buganda region.
Action of Uganda’s biggest pool shootout will cut across centres in Masaka, Mubende, Luwero, Mukono and Wakiso on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, 32 players will gather at each of Masaka’s Drake’s Pub and Mubende’s The Club venues with each vying to make the top three. “We expect a lot of skills to be displayed because we have a number of participants who are regulars at PAU events”, said Pool Association of Uganda (PAU) publicist Michael Mawanda.
Already, big names such as Adam Ssebi, Richard Kizito and Sendegeya Nkongolo are out of the race for the finals due September 6 at Lugogo Indoor Stadium. But Salim Akankwasa, who finished as last year’s senior pool league top scorer with Scrap Yard, will not want to follow suit when in Mubende. “I decided to go play in my home town and I am confident of earning my ticket to Lugogo on Friday,” Akankwasa said. “This is my first time to participate in this championship, which has been my dream for a long time,” Akankwasa, who had earlier been sidelined by due to being under 18 years, added.
In Masaka, Didas Tumwesigye and Allan Sebuma are favourites. Other venues such as Luweero’s Big Up Club, Seeta’s Cheers Pub and Red Roasters in Entebbe will have action tomorrow.
ROAD TO NILE SPECIAL NATIONAL POOL QUALIFIERS MASAKA REGION VENUES
TODAY Drake’s Pub (Masaka) The Club (Mubende)
TOMORROW Big Up Club (Luweero) Cheers Pub (Seeta) Red Roasters (Entebbe)