On Wednesday, over 20 sports teams descend on Bucupa Kataka Play Grounds Kinawataka, in Nakawa Diviosn to take part in the this year’s edition of the Tusobola Children Sports Tournament.
This year’s edition, the third of it’s kind saw 24 teams take part in day’s long tournament in football and netball for both under 16 and under 13 age categories.
In the football under 13 category, Alpha Soccer Academy beat off competition from nine other teams and emerged winners after defeating Kinawataka Soccer Academy 1-0 in the finals to take the trophy home.
Home Talent FC’s under 16 team outplayed nine other teams to emerge winners after a thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout with Soccer Aid after the two teams battled out a goalless draw in regular time.
Even though the day’s proceedings were momentarily interrupted by rainfall in the afternoon, there was little it could do to dent the morale of the youthful teams which resumed play in both disciplines after it stopped falling.
In netball, four teams participated including Alpha Queens, Mbuya C/U, Mbuya One and Button Queens.
In the opening game, Alpha Queens defeated Mbuya One by 4-2, Mbuya CU easily saw off Button Queens in the second game with a thrilling 16-0 display.
Alpha Queens’s added insult to injury in the third match when they beat wounded Button Queens by 8-0 to seal a place in the final followed by Mbuya CU after they thrashed Mbuya One by a 15 – 0 points margin.
Mbuya One got their first and only win of the day after defeating Button Queens 10-0 to secure third place.
However it was Mbuya Church of Uganda that emerged the day’s winners after defeating Alpha Queens 11-4 to crown them the day’s unbeaten champions.
Mbuya C/U’s Daniela emerged as the Best shooter, while her team mate Catherine won Best Player and Alpha Queens Isabella Mutwaya emerging as the day’s best defender.
The day’s winners were awarded with footballs, medals, and Trophy’s to crown the day.
The Right To Play Project coordinator implementing Tusobola project in Kampala Ms Safina Namusoke revealed that the tournament is aimed at raising awareness on environmental protection, health and well-being of children in the community.
““What inspired us to implement this activity is to mobilise the children to go back to school, especially girls who are dropping out of school and organise them to keep them busy in sport activities during the holiday so that they limit unnecessary movements and limit the rate of teenage pregnancies” she noted.
Ms Namusoke said through the project, they have increased integration of play-based learning approaches by education authorities, teachers, and coaches into the curriculum, classroom teaching, and sports sessions.
“Increased adoption of safe, healthy, and sustainable WASH, menstrual hygiene management, and environmental protection practices among children and youth” she said.
Namusoke noted that the third edition has seen teams become more organized with some transforming their football clubs into registered football academies.
“They have both under 16 and 12 teams, they’ve also been able to access funding because they’ve been supported and empowered to register as youth organisations so that they can be able to support other government services” she said.
Ms Namusoke noted that some children have been picked up by big football academies and other offered sports scholarships by some schools.
Mr Bosco Ouma, a leader in Obuyivu One by One Initiative for Vulnerable communities, a local NGO in Kinawataka, called on other communities to emulate such tournaments that can boost youth talent and development.
“The Kampala City Authority offices, especially Nakawa youth office are very welcoming, all the services of the youth are there. The centre youth loan, the YLP, of which I’m a beneficiary. Then there was the programme of the Boda Boda loan and many others” he said.
He added, “If we sit behind as youth and do not go to those offices, we may not be able to access such services but KCCA programmes are there for the youth, and everyone is welcome”.
Mr Ouma said the authority’s good relationship with civil society organizations like Right to Play has seen various youth projects get support and prosper in the community.
“Besides just sports, Right to Play comes with a component of sports for development where we teach life skills. You may be good at sports, but when you go to the community, the way you conduct yourself will kill your talent or promote your talent” he said.
Teams that participated in this year’s tournament include Button Queens, Alpha Queens, Little Stars, Katogo, Ghetto All Stars, Kinawataka Soccer Academy, Skylight and Mbuya One among others.
The top five participants of yesterday’s Kinawataka tournament are set to face off with Naguru in December.
Right To Play, in partnership with the Christian Youth Missionary Group Kinawataka (CYMGK), hosted this year’s Children’s Sports Tournament in Kinawataka slum which offered youth an opportunity for fun, recreation, and community learning, while promoting environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and healthy lifestyles.
