East Africa Secondary School Games notebook
HOCKEY VENUE IS BUMPY, UNEVEN
You shouldn’t be surprised by the scores being posted in boys’ and girls’ hockey matches at the East Africa Secondary School Games here in Gulu. The grass surface at the St Joseph’s College Layibi is bumpy and uneven. The grass is not levelled. Teams have been unable to pass the ball so much so they keep hitting the ball towards a general direction, hoping that a teammate is on hand to pick it up. One of the girls in the tournament, St Cecilia Misikhu of Kenya, termed the playing ground “a kraal on which most cows would decline to rest.”
KITENDE FANS SING THE LOUDEST
St Mary’s Secondary School Kitende from Uganda is a powerhouse in Ugandan and regional sports, at least as far as football is concerned. They have dominated football and netball competitions in East Africa School games. They have also made a case for themselves in basketball. With several of their teams here, football, for which they are better known, is getting more support from the rest. Their 2-1 victory over St Anthony’s Boys High School of Kenya on Sunday was preceded by loud cheering from their contingent of fans. The girls led the way in cheering Kitende as they came from a goal down to win and get three points.
HEAVENS OPEN UP IN GULU DISTRICT
Uganda’s northern and central districts of Gulu and Entebbe are known to be the wettest in Uganda. It’s actually a rainy season in Gulu and the landscape has all the hallmarks of heavy rains, the skies opening up almost every day. Mud is everywhere, and it has slowed down work at Pece Stadium, the epicentre of the athletics competition starting later this week, and the swimming pool at St Joseph’s College Layibi. However, it did not rain yesterday and the ground is clearing drop by drop, giving much hope that work on the facilities will be completed in time for competitions.
