Imagine jumping into a swimming pool expecting to swim a few laps, only to discover that the real challenge is staying afloat while fighting for a ball, fending off opponents and trying to score a goal. Suddenly, swimming is no longer just about who gets to the other end first.
Welcome to Victoria Ssaka’s water polo journey; what began as a school introduction to a relatively unfamiliar sport has turned into an exciting opportunity to represent Uganda on the regional stage. A swimmer who discovered water polo almost by chance, Ssaka is now preparing to make her national team debut at the XI Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships in Kampala, running from 21 to 25 October 2026.
And she is not stepping into the pool quietly.
“I’m really excited because this is my first time representing the national team, and I’m ready to do my best because I’ve been training really hard,” she says. “The other countries should know Uganda is coming with a lot of energy.”
It is an enthusiastic declaration from an athlete who is still relatively new to water polo but has already found herself drawn into its demanding, fast-moving world.
Water polo was not necessarily the sport Ssaka had imagined herself pursuing. Although she already knew about it, she had not realised that Uganda competed in the discipline.
That changed when a coach at her school (Shree Sahajanand School Ntinda) approached the team about taking part in the championships.
She went into the experience without particularly high expectations. The sport was new, unfamiliar and something of an experiment. But once she got into it, the combination of fun and challenge quickly won her over.
“It was really fun; it was challenging,” she recalls. “It was one of those sports you wanted to take part in when you saw it.”
What began as curiosity became an opportunity, and that opportunity has now taken her all the way to Team Uganda.
Her selection is part of a wider Ugandan water polo contingent of 22 players, divided equally between junior and senior squads. Ssaka is listed among the 11 juniors, alongside Abigail Mwagale, as Uganda prepares to welcome regional competition at the Kampala International School of Uganda, the venue for the water polo events.
The championships run from 21 to 25 October, with Uganda competing against visiting delegations from Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and Tanzania across the four aquatics disciplines.
For Ssaka, the prospect of facing opponents from across the region offers a chance to test herself in unfamiliar company while representing her country for the first time.
Swimming taught Ssaka how to move through the water; Water Polo is teaching her how to fight for space in it. The two disciplines may share a pool, but she has quickly discovered that the demands are quite different. In water polo, swimming ability is only part of the equation. Players must remain afloat while defending, contesting possession, passing and shooting, often amid intense physical battles.
“The physical demands,” she says when asked what separates water polo from swimming. “Of course, swimming helps a lot because I’m also a swimmer, but in terms of having to stay afloat all the time and fighting other players due to rough play, I think it’s very physically demanding.”
For an athlete who already has a swimming background, that experience provides a useful foundation. But it has also meant adapting her training to meet the sport’s additional demands.
Ssaka has particularly focused on strengthening her legs and arms. In water polo, strong legs help players maintain an upright position in the water, freeing their hands to handle the ball, while upper-body strength is important for throwing, passing and blocking shots.
She explains that she has had to ensure her legs can support her in the water while her arms do the work required to compete.
It is a demanding combination: part swimmer, part ball player, part defender, all while trying not to surrender possession or position. And unlike in ordinary swimming, simply reaching the other end of the pool is rarely the main objective.
The transition for her has meant building on what she already knows while learning to cope with the physical intensity that makes water polo such a distinctive sport.
Among the most striking aspects of Ssaka’s story is the fact that she and Mwagale are the only two female players in Uganda’s 22-member water polo squad.
In a sport where physical confrontations are part of the contest, stepping into the pool alongside boys requires confidence, courage and a willingness to compete without hesitation.
Ssaka is under no illusion about the challenge. “This sport is very aggressive and when you’re in the water it really doesn’t matter what gender you are, you’re getting attacked,” she says.
Rather than viewing that intensity as a reason to hold back, she sees it as part of what makes their participation remarkable.
She is particularly proud that she and Mwagale have faced the challenge head-on, competing against boys and working their way into the national team.
“I think the fact that my teammate Abigail Mwagale and I were able to face that head-on and accept it and compete and get to the national team while competing against boys, I think that was very courageous of us,” she says.
Their presence offers a glimpse of what participation and opportunity can look like in a sport that may still be unfamiliar to many Ugandans. For two athletes making their national team debut, the Zone III Championships provide a platform to demonstrate that determination and commitment can open doors, even in a sport where they are outnumbered.
Ssaka believes the team has the quality to make its presence felt. “For Zone 3, the team we have is very strong. I know we’re going to put up a very good fight and hopefully win,” she says.
Her immediate priority is the championships themselves: to compete, give her best and contribute to the team’s efforts. Beyond that, she intends to return to training and prepare for the next opportunity.
“After Zone 3, we’re going to go back into the water and train and wait for the next competition,” she says.
Water Polo: A quick guide to the game
Water Polo is a competitive, high-intensity team sport played in a swimming pool. Two teams attempt to score by throwing a ball into the opposing team’s goal.
- It combines swimming, ball-handling skills, teamwork, tactical awareness and considerable physical endurance.
- Seven players per team: Six field players and one goalkeeper are in the water at a time.
- Players generally compete in deep water, swimming and treading water rather than standing on the pool floor.
- The eggbeater kick: This circular leg movement helps players stay upright and lift their bodies out of the water to pass, shoot or defend.
- Passing and shooting: Field players generally handle the ball with one hand, while goalkeepers have different handling privileges.
- Four quarters: Under standard senior rules, a match consists of four eight-minute periods of playing time.
- A shot clock: Teams have a limited time to attempt a shot, helping keep the game fast-paced and attacking.
- Physical contests: Players battle for position and possession. Fouls can result in free throws, temporary exclusions or penalty throws, depending on the offence.
Ultimately, Water Polo is a game of strategy and stamina as much as strength. Players must keep moving, read the game, support their teammates and make quick decisions while staying afloat.