Overview:
Regina Nakibuule is humbled by the ability to serve the sports sub-sector in various capacities first as a player, coach, referee and now an administrator. She has earned directly from sport, networked with people from all walks of lives and traveled widely.
Regina Nakibuule is a unique gem and female persona who has duly served the sports sub-sector with passion, determination, charisma, commitment and enthusiasm.
Over the years, she has been engaged in more than 9 sports disciplines ranging from indoor games such as Table Tennis, Darts, Pool, Badminton, Basketball, Swimming, and Pickleball to out-door disciplines like Athletics, Lawn Tennis and football.
In Uganda, not many women sports personalities have managed to perfect more than three games and also represented the country internationally.
As Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate International Women’s Day, Kawowo Sports Media congratulates all the different women sports icons ranging from active sports personalities, administrators, officiating officials (judges, umpires and referees), coaches to media personalities.
Nakibuule is humbled by the ability to serve the sports sub-sector in various capacities first as a player, coach, referee and now an administrator.
“I thank God for the gift of life and the ability to engage in various sports disciplines. It was been purely done to passion, focus, determination and consistency to serve at the highest level in most of these games,” Nakibuule reveals.
Of late, she ventured into Pickleball and debuted with a quarterfinal finish in the 2023 Uganda open as she also played in the semifinals of the ladies’ doubles.
She played Badminton with her last outing in 2016 during the university league.
Nakibuule, a former sprinter who also plays Darts for Kampala International University (KIU), features in the UN League (Football), Basketball, Pool and Swimming.
Nakibuule excelled in Table Tennis as she was an active member of the national team for more than a decade (2008 – 2019).
The epitome of her career in Table Tennis was representing Uganda in various regional, continental and global sporting events.
She was part of the team at the 2019 Commonwealth Games in India, ITTF zonal championships in Mauritius (2017), ITTF Eastern Africa zonal championships hosted by Uganda in 2019, played at the Inter-cities Table Tennis games (2009-2018) in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi and played at the Varberg Table Tennis championships in Sweden as well as in Serbia, Zambia, India, UK, South Africa, Mauritius and Dubai.
Successes:
Nakibuule shone on the domestic and regional fronts. In Uganda, she claimed a number of trophies to her name as the Uganda Open (2007), Sharing open (2006), Jinja Open (2016), Mbale Open (2008), Makerere open (2007)
In the East African zone, she was the champion of the Nyeri open in Kenya (2007), Kengen open (2010), Tanzania open (2018), and Simon Ngenga Memorial Open (2016 and 2017).
She was ranked 6th in the 2022 national seniors’ trials.
Role Models:
Table Tennis superstars Egyptian Dina Mesherf and Nigerian Aruna Quadri are her role models.
Philanthropism:
From her personal savings, Nakibuule has managed to pass on game skills to many sports personalities, especially young girls and boys.
She also shares the little with underprivileged sports personalities to top up for their personal needs and school dues.
“I have helped quite a big number of sportspersons that I train in sports. Whereas many are on sports scholarships, others completed school and there are those that pay for using my sports salary and allowances,” she adds.
Transition to a sports coach-cum-administrator:
As the energy levels to perform at the peak as a player steadily reduced, Nakibuuule sought a Plan-B, to pay back to sport as a coach, referee and administrator.
As a coach, she handles Table Tennis (including Para-Table Tennis), Pickleball (and Para-Pickleball), Para pickleball, Para powerlifting and Para Athletics (Javelin).
She is currently the FEASSSA Table Tennis commissar from 2019 to date, referee and umpire (ITTF & PTT level 1 & 2 coach) as well as the Table Tennis coordinator for Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA).
Nakibuule is the head coach of Table Tennis at Galaxy International School and Caltec Academy Makerere.
She is the founder of Regina Table Tennis Academy, based in Makindye but currently training at Caltec Academy Makerere.
Personal bio-data:
Nakibuule is a Muganda by tribe who hails from the Mpologoma (lion) clan. She is the fifth-born child in the family of six to Eng. Joseph Kisekka and Fatuma Batuli.
Education:
She had her elementary education at North Road primary school, Mbale for primary studies.
She then progressed to Mbale S.S (0-Level) where she learnt the A-B-C of Table Tennis – thanks to Mbale Tigers Table Tennis club.
For Advanced level of education, she studied at Mbale Progressive School.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology (IT) from Kampala International University (K.I.U), a Diploma of Arts in Education (K.I.U), a Master of Science in Information System (K.I.U), Sports Administration Course (SAC) and Advanced Diploma in Sports Administration and Management (Uganda Olympic Committee).
She is also a certified Para-sports coach after completing a Para Coach GAPS Africa Education course organized by the Liverpool John Moores University; handled by Dr Tabo Huntley and Ms Ellen Barwise.
The sky definitely can not be the limit for Regina Nakibuule.