Women basketballers celebrated Women's Day in style

Women basketballers celebrated Women’s Day in style on Friday at Lugogo honouring their own through a game of basketball with an exciting All-Star game, featuring the best players and upcoming stars.

It was good to watch former basketballers who have since taken on managerial roles, motherhood and other corporate roles take to the court in a well decorated Lugogo arena.

The day kicked off with the raising stars game, where Team Mia Belinda beat Team Shiphrah 48 points to 43 points.

The fun continued with a friendly match between Team Managers and Team Parliament. The managers showed their skills on the court, winning by 30 points to 28.

Later before the main game, Peace Lamunu, a young basketball player from the slums of Kawempe, joined a 3-point shooting contest.

She not only won the contest, but also won the hearts of the crowd, who raised money to help her pursue her education.

In the main event, Team Ageno, led by Jaguar's captain Sarah Ageno, faced Team Perus, captained by KCCA guard Perus Nyamwenge.

At halftime, Team Ageno's Tracy Namugosa took the crowd by storm when she joined celebrated musician Winnie Nwagi on stage for a lively performance, adding flair to the event.

“I was happy to see all the women, girls that played because they were having fun, playing with ease, while displaying their talents," said Namugosa.

She also urged fellow women to support their children's talents and gifts because they could be future stars in the game.

The second half saw Team Ageno keep their advantage, scoring 40 points to end the game with a decisive 65-35 win over Team Perus.

Ajar Kul of the Magic Stormers was the game's highest scorer, while Namugosa's impressive performance earned her the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award with 14 points.

FUBA women’s commissioner Rachael Ainamatsiko expressed gratitude and vowed to maintain games of such calibre in a bid to shape the next generation of  women basketballers.

“It was nice to see women unite for a common goal, it is something that we hope to have more games like these to keep the girls in the game together.” said Ainamatsiko.

FUBA's Women's Day celebration was a successful mix of fierce competition, community spirit, and artistic expression.

 The event not only displayed the talent of Uganda's female basketball players but also emphasized the importance of supporting young athletes like Lamunu.