Uganda storms semifinals at Beach Woodball World Cup
The 4th Beach Woodball World Cup teed off yesterday at Laem Charoen Beach, Thailand, with Uganda’s men’s team making a strong statement by defeating India 3-0 in the quarterfinals.
The emphatic victory booked Uganda a semifinal clash against Hong Kong in the Fairway Team category today.
Eight countries including Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, Nepal, and hosts Thailand battled for spots in the quarterfinals.
Uganda’s head coach, Onesimus Atamba, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance despite the challenges posed by heavy rains.
“So far, not bad. We started in the morning under rain which we are not used to, but the scores were impressive and we shall build on that tomorrow (today),” Atamba noted.
Uganda Woodball Federation President, Paul Mark Kayongo, urged the players to maintain focus as they chase medals.
“Yes, it is not good results for the women losing at the semi-final, but there are categories we should look at to win medals,” Kayongo encouraged.
Meanwhile, National Council of Sports General Secretary, Dr. Bernard Ogwel, emphasized discipline and commitment, reminding players that medals bring not only government recognition but also financial rewards.
“As government, we are committed to the development of sports and woodball is among them,” Dr. Ogwel said before rewarding the team with USD 1,000 in appreciation of their resilience.
In the Stroke opening games, team captain Thomas Khedi and Darry Gilles Amanyire impressed by hitting 22/23 each to post 55 strokes in the pool stages.
