There was something special about watching swimming come alive on the Kawowo Sports YouTube channel.
For a sport often consumed from behind the pool fence, the third edition of the Sailfish Masters Swimming Gala on Saturday, September 19, offered swimming fans a different window into the action as races, starts, turns and finishes were beamed beyond the pool deck.
The timing could not have been better.
The morning began under showers, briefly threatening to put a wet blanket over the day. But by around 8 a.m., the skies had cleared, and by 9 a.m. the swimmers were already warming up, loosening shoulders, finding their rhythm and preparing for a long day in the water.
Before the serious business of racing, the Masters took part in a light dance workout, with swimmers aged 25 and above showing that their repertoire extends beyond butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. There were dance moves that seemed to have travelled straight from the 1990s into the pool deck, another reminder that Masters swimming is not simply about the stopwatch. It is about the memories, friendships, fitness and the joy of still being able to race.
Once the whistle sounded, however, the nostalgia gave way to competition.
The gala featured age-group racing across the Masters categories, beginning at 25–29 and stretching into the older age groups, with the results recording competitors as old as 79 years. The programme included 25m and 50m races in the four strokes, alongside relay action, giving swimmers different ways to test their technique and race craft.
The early butterfly races immediately set the tone. In the women’s 25–29 25m butterfly, Joy Kamukama of Aqua Akii Swim Club touched first in 16.82, ahead of Ambrosoli Sailfish Masters’ Natalie Suzan Nantume and Flash Swimming Club’s Resty Kiwuka. In the men’s 25–29 race, Joel Mayengo of Formidables Swim Club won in 13.59.
As the age groups rose, the gala became a celebration of longevity in the sport. Peter Ssebanakitta, 70, won the men’s 70–74 25m butterfly in 22.44, while Joe Nuwamanya, 79, completed the men’s 75-and-over 50m breaststroke in 1:25.34. Those swims perhaps captured the spirit of Masters swimming better than any stopwatch could.
The breaststroke lanes produced their own share of standout performances. Trinity Priscilla Biywaga of Ambrosoli Sailfish Masters won the women’s 30–34 50m breaststroke in 45.51, while Joseph Kabogoza, also of Ambrosoli, stopped the clock at 36.91 to win the men’s 40–44 category.
Kabogoza had already shown his speed in the 25m butterfly, winning the men’s 40–44 race in 13.79, underlining the versatility required to move between strokes in a Masters programme.
The backstroke lanes kept the competitive pulse beating. Ambrosoli’s Sandra Arinaitwe won the women’s 30–34 25m backstroke in 22.80, while Patrick Oghittu claimed the men’s 45–49 race in 16.93. In the 40–44 men’s category, Jonathan Musana followed Kabogoza to give Ambrosoli a one-two finish in the event.
There was also room for teamwork.
The mixed 100m medley relay saw Ambrosoli Sailfish Masters A take victory in 1:08.37, ahead of Makerere University Swim Team A and Otters Swim Club Uganda A. The relay brought together the different strokes and, perhaps more importantly, the collective spirit that makes Masters swimming distinctive.
Away from individual performances, the team battle produced a fascinating split. Ambrosoli Sailfish Masters dominated the women’s standings with 1,177 points, well ahead of Malta Swimming Club on 527 and Formidables Swim Club on 411. In the men’s standings, however, Formidables Swim Club led with 1,476 points, followed by Ambrosoli on 925 and Gators Swim Club Kampala on 240.
When the women’s and men’s scores were combined, Ambrosoli Sailfish Masters finished on 2,166 points, with Formidables Swim Club second on 1,923 and Malta Swimming Club third on 712.
But numbers only tell part of the Sailfish story. The biggest, most important picture was the pool deck itself: swimmers who have spent years away from competitive lanes returning to race; others maintaining their competitive edge; and younger Masters rediscovering the exhilaration of racing alongside swimmers several decades older.
And the weather played its part. After the morning showers cleared, conditions remained favourable throughout the day, allowing racing to continue without weather interruptions. The pool stayed busy, the lanes stayed active, and the programme moved from one race to another under much friendlier skies.
The third Sailfish Masters Gala became more than another date on Uganda’s swimming calendar. It was a reminder that swimming does not have an expiry date.
At 25, 40, 50, 60, 70 or even 79, there is still a lane to dive into, a stroke to perfect, a time to chase and a race worth swimming.
And this time, thanks to the Kawowo Sports YouTube livestream, the Masters did not have to keep all those stories within the pool gates.