USSSA Pushes Zonal Athletics Revival Ahead of National Championships

Last updated Mar 14, 2026

By Lawrence Mubiru 
The Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) has unveiled a renewed strategy aimed at reviving athletics in secondary schools by tasking its zonal leaders to intensify competitions ahead of the forthcoming national championships.
The decision was reached during a consultative meeting held at the USSSA offices in Old Kampala, Kampala, where chairpersons and secretaries from all the 19 zones convened at USSSA office at GNS Plaza to discuss preparations for upcoming school sports competitions, with athletics emerging as a key priority.
The meeting, chaired by USSSA President Justus Mugisha, also drew members of the association’s executive committee including Twahil Kiteezaala, Okot P’Bitek and Harriet Apolot. Discussions centered on strengthening grassroots competition structures to ensure athletes are better prepared before advancing to the national stage.
During the deliberations, Mugisha emphasized the urgent need to expand athletics activities across zones, directing each region to organize at least two athletics competitions before the national championships.
“Our position is clear. Every zone must host two athletics meets before the national championships so that we can identify and prepare athletes early enough,” Mugisha told the delegates.
To motivate early implementation of the directive, the USSSA leadership announced a financial incentive for zones that have already incorporated the competitions into their sports calendars. Each qualifying zone will receive one million shillings to support the organization of the meets.
Mugisha also raised concern about the declining performance standards in school athletics, noting that the shortage of scholarship opportunities has made it difficult for many talented athletes to access quality education and sports programs.
He observed that athletics remains one of the disciplines where many students depend on bursaries to continue their education, yet only a small number of schools currently offer such opportunities.
The new initiative is expected to boost zonal-level competition while providing a wider platform for emerging athletes to showcase their talent before the national championships. Sports administrators believe the move will also strengthen talent identification and rebuild the athletics pipeline within Uganda’s secondary school system.

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