By Our Reporter
KAPELEBYONG
Labira Girls Secondary School in Obalanga Town Council has emerged as the champion of this year’s Ball Games 11, showcasing their athletic prowess in Kapelebyong District.
With seven government schools and one private institution vying for the title, Labira Girls SS achieved an impressive score of 405 points, coming first. Obalanga Comprehensive SS followed in second position with 258 points.
The host school, Akoromit Seed SS, secured the third spot with 109 points, while John Eluru Memorial SS took fourth spot with 95 points. St. Francis Acumet SS garnered 87 points, St. Peters Acowa SS scored 67, St. Andrews Private School in Obalanga recorded 54 points, and Obalanga Seed SS finished with 33 points. Notably, this marked the first participation of St. Andrews SS Obalanga in the district athletics competitions.
As the chairperson of the registry, Stella Acham, announced the results, excitement erupted from the winning team, while disappointment lingered among other participants.
Labira Girls celebrated their victory with three trophies: one for overall champions, another for the best boys’ performance, and a third for the best girls’ performance in district athletics, along with a token of financial appreciation.
Aggrey Othieno, the headteacher of Labira Girls SS, expressed gratitude for the win and committed to striving for another trophy at the regional competitions.
John Oluka, vice chairperson of the Kapelebyong secondary schools’ sports association, announced that a registry will help identify top athletes for representation at the regional competitions in Kumi district from June 24th-28th, 2026, with boys hosted at Wiggins SS and girls at Bishop Maraka College.
The technical team will thoroughly examine the results to identify the best contenders who meet the regional standards. However, if the results are found to be inconsistent with the regional requirements, the regional competitions will be cancelled.
Before competitions, all athletes were verified against the school records and result slips to ensure they are under the age of twenty.
Yat Nyal Rossbury Agany, chairperson of the Kapelebyong Secondary Schools Sports Association, revealed that while they primarily focused on athletics, only a few schools participated in DanceSport, with many unable to join due to financial limitations. Agany noted that athletics events are organized on a rotational basis, allowing schools to host the one-day events.
Romano Okare Engulu, the inspector of schools in Kapelebyong and the Chief Guest at the event, represented the District Education Officer. He expressed a desire to introduce dance sports in primary and secondary schools in Kapelebyong, as this has been notably lacking. Engulu urged parents to actively support sports and other school initiatives, and he presented awards to the winning team.
The Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) Ball Games II championship encompasses more than 20 different sports disciplines, with an emphasis on athletics, strategic games, and various ball sports for secondary schools. The events included in the Ball Games II series are categorized into several groups, such as Netball, Volleyball, Handball, Basketball, Athletics & Cross Country, Rugby, Woodball, Beach Soccer, Beach Volleyball, Mind Games (Chess), Scrabble, Dance Sport, Ludo, and Futsal.
Last year, Kapelebyong did not participate in athletics due to circumstances beyond their control.
