Overview:
The winners (Jonathan Ssenyonga and Rita Nakhumista) smiled home with trophies, certificates and each pocketed Shs 400,000 in prize money.
2023 Mbale Open Table Tennis Championship:
Finals (Main event):
- Men singles: Jonathan Ssenyonga 3-1 Juma Wabugoya
- Ladies Singles: Rita Nakhumista (Mbale Tigers) 3-2 Halima Astoola (Mbogo College)
Under-age categories:
U-18:
- Boys: Juma Wabugoya 3-0 Wasswa Kikomeko
- Girls: Swabra Namiro 3-1 Halima Astolo
U-12:
- Boys: Jerome Mukisa 3-1 Shaquru Muduku
- Girls: Shamim Nabulundera 3-2 Prisca Manjerke
Most Valuable Players (MVP’s):
- Boys: Malcom Ssentongo (Mbogo)
- Girls: Shamim Nabulundera (Mbale Tigers)
Teams:
- Men: Mbogo A 3-2 Mbogo B
- Ladies: Mbogo 3-0 Mbale Tigers
The 15th edition of the Mbale Open Table Tennis championship successfully concluded at the Social center in Namakwekwe in Mbale city on Saturday, 4th February 2023.
Jonathan Ssenyonga and Rita Nakhumista won the main accolades in the male and female respective categories.
Ssenyonga overcame Juma Wabugoya 3-1 in a tense finale whilst Nakhumista was victorious following a close 3-2 win against Halima Astoola.
The winners smiled home with trophies, certificates and each pocketed Shs 400,000 in prize money.
The runners up (Wabugoya and Astolo) each earned Shs 200,000/=.
The semi-finalists; Imran Luwooza, Diouf Miiro, Ivy Nekesa and Ludia Natunga received Shs 50,000/= apiece.
Under-age categories:
Juma Wabugoya smashed Wasswa Kikomeko 3-0 to win the U-18 boys’ category.
Wabugoya earned Shs 100,000/= as Kikomeko was rewarded with Shs 50,000/=
Swabra Namiro overcame Halima Astolo 3-1 in the U-18 girls’ final.
Namiro pocketed Shs 100,000/= to Astolo’s Shs 50,000/=.
U-12:
In the boy’s U-12 final, Jerome Mukisa was victorious (3-1) past Shaquru Muduku and Shamim Nabulundera edged Prisca Manjerke 3-2.
Team events:
Mbogo teams were dominant both in the male and female team events.
Mbogo A edged out Mbogo B 3-2 in the boys’ team event.
Mbogo smiled past Mbale Tigers 3-0 in the girls’ team cluster.
Most Valuable Players (MVP’s):
Mbogo’s Malcom Ssentongo and Mbale Tigers’ Shamim Nabulundera were named the male female respective most valuable players of the tournament.
The championship was organized by Mbale Tigers Table Tennis club, sponsored by Stanbic Bank Uganda.
Robert Jjagwe, president of Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA), Stanbic Bank Regional manager James Silver Ddamulira graced the climax of this championship.
Jjagwe lauded the players, coaches, parents, organizers and sponsors of this championship that lured over 80 players.
He explained that the tournament will be used to grade the players ahead of the national league and upcoming international championships.
“As Uganda Tables Tennis Association (UTTA), we shall convene with the national coach and select the best performers. They will join the national league for qualifiers to represent Uganda in Djibouti early March and also another tournament in Kenya (Nairobi) in May this year”. Jjagwe remarked.
Different clubs from Uganda and Kenya took part.
Some of the clubs from Uganda included hosts Mbale Tigers, Mbogo college, Watoto Ping Pong, Team Olympic.
The Kenyan clubs were St Joseph, Emeralda and St Monica.