Written By | Alex Mbamanya
Uganda handball champions Wampewo Ntakke (yellow) are hopeful of gold
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Morogoro, Tanzania
As the FEASSA Games enter the final stretch in the Tanzanian city of Morogoro, perennial rivals Kenya have taken a commanding lead over defending champions Uganda in the overall medal standings.
With the competition heading into its final days, it may take until the last day of the 10-day championship to determine the overall winner of the 23rd edition of the regional schools sports competition.
By Thursday morning, Kenya had opened a five-gold-medal lead over Uganda, with the 16-time champions having won 13 gold medals compared with Uganda's eight, from about 10 of the 22 disciplines already completed.
Kenya have dominated athletics, cross-country, rugby 15s, hockey and the newly introduced lacrosse, winning both the boys' and girls' titles in the latter. They have also won boys' rugby 7s, boys' scrabble and girls' beach volleyball, taking their total to 13 gold medals.
Uganda is battling to win the volleyball boys title for the first time in 17 years
Uganda, meanwhile, have secured gold medals in netball, as they have done in each of the previous 23 editions, as well as boys' and girls' table tennis, boys' and girls' badminton, boys' scrabble, girls' beach soccer and boys' tennis, giving them a total of eight gold medals.
However, Uganda still have an opportunity to close the gap, having qualified more teams for the semifinals in several of the remaining disciplines than Kenya.
Uganda's hopes of a late recovery rest on disciplines such as girls' football, boys' handball, basketball 5x5, basketball 3x3 and swimming, where their teams remain strongly positioned.
Uganda has already secured the netball gold
In boys' football, a discipline Uganda have dominated over the years, only record winners St Mary's Kitende remain in the semifinals after fellow Ugandan sides Bukedea Comprehensive, Kyadondo SS and 2024 champions Bukedea Comprehensive exited at the quarterfinal stage.
The FEASSA overall title in the secondary school category is awarded to the country that tops the medal table based on the number of gold medals won. In the event of a tie, silver and bronze medals are considered.
The 10-day championship has brought together elite school teams from Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and hosts Tanzania. The games will climax on Saturday.
