KAMPALA — Uganda has formally dispatched a formidable contingent to the 2026 Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games, with the Minister of State for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, delivering a layered and emphatic brief that blended ambition, discipline, and athlete welfare.
At the official flag-off, the Minister set the competitive tone first, reaffirming Uganda’s dominance and sharpening expectations ahead of the regional showpiece due August 12–22 in Morogoro, Tanzania.
“As you go to Tanzania, Uganda is no longer participating just to take part. You have gone to win medals.”
Uganda heads into the Games as the reigning powerhouse, having won the overall FEASSA trophy consecutively since 2019 in Arusha, with the latest triumph coming at the 2025 edition in Kakamega, Kenya.
Beyond immediate results, Ogwang underscored the strategic importance of the schools’ platform as a pipeline into elite sport, calling for deliberate alignment between school competitions and national federations.
“As we win the FEASSA Games year in, year out, I expect the transition of athletes to represent the national teams.
From these students, we must identify athletes who are national team material for the next two or three years.
All federations must work with USSSA to develop talent.”
The Minister’s address also struck a firm regulatory note on integrity in sport, particularly on anti-doping, drawing a clear line for both athletes and their handlers.
“Students, I warn you against anti-doping because you will be banned. Teachers and officials, your punishment is imprisonment.”
In equal measure, he emphasized safety and compliance in travel logistics, directing strict adherence to national transport guidelines as Team Uganda journeys to Tanzania.
“I want to affirm from here that no bus that has not been cleared by the Uganda Police and the Ministry of Works and Transport should travel.
Follow all travel guidelines, including speed limits and the number of students carried.”
A record 127 schools have been flagged off, comprising 1,304 student-athletes. Among the contigent, are 160 primary school teams and 72 special needs teams, an expansive representation that highlights Uganda’s depth in grassroots sport.
The delegation is set to depart in the early hours of Sunday, August 9, with arrival in Morogoro expected on August 11.
Uganda will compete across all 23 disciplines, including football, netball, basketball, volleyball, rugby, athletics, swimming, badminton, chess, lawn tennis, table tennis, handball, lacrosse, and 3×3 basketball, among others.
The flag-off ceremony attracted key stakeholders in the sports ecosystem, including officials from the National Council of Sports, the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA), and the Uganda Primary Schools Sports Association (UPSSA), reinforcing a unified national front as the country seeks to extend its regional supremacy.
