2022 Hopes Week Uganda (U-12 Table Tennis Tournament):
Champions:
- Boys: Joseph Ssebatindira
- Girls: Jemimah Nakawala
Eight-year-old Joseph Ssebatindira and Jemimah Nakawala triumphed in the 2022 Hopes week Uganda Table Tennis tournament at Elite High School, Bwebajja.
Ssebatindira, a pupil at Nakasero Primary School defeated 7 other players including tournament favorite (Ben Okia) in the above video to win the Hopes (Under 12) Championship at Elite High School.
He accumulated a total of 14 points from the seven victories recorded.
Sharif Nsereko came second with 13 points and Okia was third with 12 points.
Ssebatindira is now ranked seed 1 in the Uganda U-12 category with Okia in second place.
Girls:
In the female gender, 12 year-old Nakawala won the girls with a total of 10 points.
Nakawala won all the five matches she played with Patience Amanero coming second on 9 points.
It should be noted that Nakawala was part of the Uganda Table Tennis national team that scooped bronze at the East Africa senior championships in Ethiopia.
Individually, she qualified for the Africa Continental Championships to be held in Algeria in September this very year (2022).
Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA) president Robert Jjagwe was grateful for the successful tournament played over two days.
Jjagwe attests that UTTA will closely monitor the performance of these youngsters and ensure that their ranking is followed to the dot.
Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA) has deliberate plans and strategies of growing this game from the grassroots. We have made sure that the players get a permanent record of their rankings for 2022 by issuing them each a ranking certificate.
Robert Jjagwe, president Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA)
UTTA is also in final plans of preparing the female senior team that will represent Uganda at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Nakawala is part of this team alongside Rita Nakhumitsa, Florence Seera and Parvin Nangonzi.