Janel Nakato Namubiru came within touching distance of making history for Uganda but fell just one stroke short of a podium finish at the inaugural PDGA African Disc Golf Championship in South Africa.
Namubiru finished fourth in the women’s professional division after posting a nine-over-par (+9) score over three days at the Inanda Country Base in Kyalami, Midrand, near Johannesburg. She was Uganda’s best performer at the championship, but the bronze medal slipped away by the narrowest of margins.
South Africa’s Leena Swarts took third place with eight-over-par (+8), leaving Namubiru to settle for fourth among eight competitors. The women’s title went to another South African, Josephine Meulenbeld, who produced an impressive nine-under-par (-9) performance.
It was a frustratingly close finish for Namubiru, but her performance offered Uganda a glimpse of what its players can achieve against some of the continent’s best.
The men’s professional division proved equally demanding for Uganda’s representatives. Owen Agaba finished 12th out of 18 players with 14-over-par (+14), while Christopher Ahabyona tied for 15th after posting 24-over-par (+24).
South Africa’s Devin Norman claimed the inaugural men’s title with an eight-under-par (-8) score, finishing ahead of Zambia’s Wilborn Munkombwe, who managed three-under-par (-3).
In the amateur division, Israel Muwanguzi finished 15th with a score of 35-over-par (+35), completing Uganda’s four-player representation at the three-day event.
The championship, a Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) C-Tier event, attracted 64 players from across Africa, including South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya and Ethiopia, as well as competitors from the United States and Belgium.
Uganda’s four representatives earned their places through their official PDGA player ratings, accumulated from sanctioned domestic and regional tournaments.
Despite returning without a medal, the experience gave the Ugandan players an opportunity to test themselves against stronger competition and identify areas that need attention.
These are areas Uganda must work on if it is to turn promising performances into podium finishes at future competitions.
Disc Golf Uganda has already started using the lessons from Johannesburg to prepare its national athletes for the 2027 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships, scheduled for June 16 to 20 in Portland, Oregon, United States.