Ugandans especially pool lovers, have their eyes set on the National Pool Team as they battle it out with other team in the Africa Ultimate Pool Championship.
On October 12, 2025, the 16-member national pool team, comprising eight men and eight women, departed for Mpumalanga, South Africa, to compete in the Africa Ultimate Pool Championship running from October 13 to 18.
With top talent from across the continent gathering for the showdown, Uganda enters the tournament not just as participants, but as serious contenders for gold.
The team is captained by Rashid Wagaba, better known in the cue sports community as “Dog City,” a name that echoes confidence and command.
Wagaba leads a battle-hardened squad featuring household names in African pool circles, including Ceasar Chandiga, famously dubbed “The Scorpion.”
Chandiga isn’t just another cue on the table, he is Africa’s Heyball Ambassador and the man who made history in July 2025 by winning Uganda’s first ever gold medal at the Commonwealth Billiards Games in Mauritius.
His thrilling 9-7 victory over Indian sensation Shivam Arora in the Heyball final was a defining moment not just for him, but for Ugandan cue sports at large.
The momentum from Mauritius has added fuel to Uganda’s gold chase. The team also brought home a silver medal in the men’s Blackball category, courtesy of the “Sharp-Shooter” Joseph Kasozi, and two bronze medals from the women’s side, Rukia Naiga in Heyball and Marion Kisakye in Blackball.
Joining Wagaba and Chandiga on the men’s team are Simon Lubuulwa, Ian Kazibwe, Ibra Kayanja, Ibra Sejjemba, Azali “Hazard” Lukomwa, and the ever-consistent Joseph Kasozi, who remains Uganda’s top seed in 2025.
On the women’s side, the team is captained by Amina Faith Nganda and features talents like Zaimat Nabafu, Rashida Mutes, Ritah Nimusiima, Jacinta Kajubi, Juliet Namuhanga, Rukia Naiga, and Marion Kisakye, each bringing their own flavor of grit, precision, and passion.
Having had a nearly a rigorous month training on the same rules of Ultimate Pool, before departure, Wagaba is confident that their longer-term preparations and sharp focus will pay off. “We have prepared well and trained for about three days. I’m confident we shall perform well in South Africa because everyone on the team is talented and ready,” he said.
For over a month leading up to the championship, the players were engaged in intensive sessions under the guidance of acting head coach Nathan Bwankosya and a team of technical staff, simulating match conditions and refining strategies tailored for the tournament’s unique format, and they know all the rules.
Kasozi, a key player and vocal leader in the squad, believes this year is different. The hunger for gold, he says, has never been stronger. “Unlike the previous championships, this time Uganda is ready to bring home a gold medal,” he stated.
The team travelled with a delegation of eight officials, including the head of delegation, coaching staff, medical team, media personnel, and the team manager, an ensemble working behind the scenes to ensure the Pool Cranes have everything they need.
