The Fresh Dairy Secondary Schools games have officially started in Mbarara City with a call to end use of ineligible players.
The sports commissioner Canon Duncans Mugumya during the official opening ceremony at Ntare School said they will not betray government efforts of funding sports yet some schools prefer to use mercenary players.
“We disappointed you sir (he told the sports minister), when one school [Royal Giants Mityana] was chosen to play in the Schools African Championships and ended up missing the travel to South Africa because of ineligible players. We are more than ready to weed out this malpractice,” Mugumya said
Harriet Apolot, the chairperson National Organizing Committee stressed the need to clean the games of age cheats.
“These are age-category games and we need to protect the young players by eliminating overaged players,” Apolot said.
To start with, all players are on the online registration portal which has helped weed out unneeded players.
It is noted that using such players five schools were banned from taking part in this year’s games.Peter Ogwang promised to crack down on schools that are defaulting on the sports curriculum.
“There’s nothing more paying than sports. We should allow students to excel by using their talents,” he said.
He added that emerging issues in sports such as drug abuse must be fought.
“How long must we miss international opportunities by cheating through sport, including corrupting the minds of the young people,” Ogwang said.
qwDairy producer, Fresh Dairy has sponsored the tournament with a Shs240m package for the games that started on Monday at Ntare School in Mbarara.
The five-year pact started in 2019 with Fresh Dairy catering for administrative costs at the games by increasing the brand exposure of the games.

Vincent Omoth, the Fresh Dairy Marketing Manager says he was impressed with the progress the games have made.
“Over the past three editions, Fresh Dairy is pleased to see a progression through better quality of sports being played, but also an increase in the number of students and schools participating.”
Christopher Mugisa, the Chief Executive Officer of USSSA said the games have attracted more than 3,000 students in seven disciplines.
A combined 252 teams competing in basketball, rugby 15s, hockey, table tennis, badminton, tennis and girls football are taking part in the games set to end on May 15. All the finalists will qualify for the East African Secondary School Games set for Huye, Rwanda in August.
Omoth said, “Fresh Dairy’s sponsorship essentially serves to nurture the sporting talent of our youth while highlighting the need for health and nutrition using our products which are great for refreshment and post-workout replenishment. Fresh Dairy believes in developing a complete individual in terms of sports, academia and health.”
BASKETBALL – GIRLS
St Noa 66-28 Jinja SS
Seroma 13-45 Ndejje
Namagunga 22-19 Mary Hill
Kibuli 44-7 Gombe SS
Kyambogo 7-16 Holy Cross
St Maria Gorretti 18-11 Nyakibare
Sacred Heart 9-67 Kitende
Nyakasura 42-9 Kakira
Iganga SS 14-12 Janan
Mvara 25-16 Ssaku
Naalya 34-20 Nabumali
Football – girls
Kawempe 1-0 Sheema
Buhobe 2-0 Bp Maraka
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