Uganda’s national pool team, the Pool Cranes, isn’t letting a single loss shake their confidence at the Africa Ultimate Pool Championship in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
The men’s team faced their toughest challenge yet on Tuesday morning, falling 15–10 to a veteran South African side. The defeat pushed Uganda to third place out of 14 teams in the standings, but spirits remain high in the Ugandan camp.
Team captain Rashid Wagaba says the team remains focused and on trrack.
“We have won all the matches so far and the team is still strong. We have so far played five games and only lost one,” Wagaba said. “All the guys on the team are shooting very well.”
Speaking about the defeat, Wagaba acknowledged South Africa’s edge in experience.
“They controlled the tempo of the match and took advantage of small errors. But we are not giving up, our focus now is on finishing the group stage strong and making it to the quarterfinals,” he noted.
The championship format has Uganda facing an uphill battle compared to other nations. While Uganda fielded a single national team, countries like South Africa and Namibia entered multiple squads.
“We follow the government structure, but some other countries have different sports structures. Like South Africa has different provinces and each presents a team,” said Donal Muhumuza, Tournament Secretary at the Pool Association of Uganda (PAU).
Despite the structural disadvantage, both Uganda’s men and women teams are holding their own.
Head coach Nathan Bwakosya remains optimistic about what lies ahead.
“This is just one hurdle. The team has the talent and discipline to go all the way,” Bwakosya said. “We’ve trained hard for this tournament and the spirit in camp remains high. Our goal is to reach the knockouts and fight for the title.”
The Pool Cranes still have four matches to play before the group stage wraps up on Wednesday. The top eight teams will qualify for the quarterfinals.
On the women’s side, Uganda got off to a rocky start with a narrow 13–12 loss to Kenya but quickly bounced back with a dominant 19–6 win over Namibia. They now sit comfortably within the top seven, with a quarterfinal berth in reach.
Bwakosya noted the progress being made by both teams with each frame they play.
“The exposure our players are getting here is invaluable. It’s preparing them well for the singles competition,” he said.
The singles tournament begins on Wednesday and is expected to showcase Uganda’s top talents, including Caesar Chandiga, who is considered one of Africa’s finest, who will take on some of the continent’s best cueists.
The championship, which brings together top players from all over Africa, wraps up Saturday with medals awarded in both team and individual events.
