Jaguar swimmers end year on high note

Some of Uganda’s top swimmers will head into Christmas with a good idea of what they need to fix when the new season begins in early February 2024 after competing at the Jaguar Swim Club friendly gala over the weekend.

Tendo Kaumi, who had just returned to Uganda six days earlier from the just-concluded Africa Junior Swim Championship in Mauritius, was one of the highlights of the friendly gala, sweeping all his four individual races in the Boys 15 years and over age category, only skipping his least favourite stroke, the breaststroke.

Charlotte Sanford, who represented Uganda at the Commonwealth Junior Games in Trinidad and Tobago in August, topped her age group in the Girls 15 years and over. Although she met a strong challenge in the heats. Many other swimmers from Uganda’s triumphant team
that won the Africa Aquatics Zone 3 championships in Kigali, Rwanda last month also graced the friendly competition, which was held at Jaguar swim club’s home at SMIL in Bweyogerere.

Uganda’s medalists in Kigali who graced the friendly competition included: Glory Upendo, Abdou Hakim, Peyton Suubi, Zara Mbanga, Tasha Kisawuzi, Elijah Mukuru, Ian Aziku, Crystal Ssemanda, Mackayla Ssali, Joshua Kaganda and Tino Alicia.

While the competition was meant to be friendly, Jaguar swim club decided to structure the races in a mixed format, where the swimmers were grouped in heats based on their times. The aim was to bring out the best out of the swimmers. The trick worked.

Many swimmers from the Kigali trip hit personal best times; Abdou Hakim made a personal best time in the 50-metre butterfly, so did Peyton Suubi in the 50-metre freestyle, and Zara Mbanga in the 50-metre backstroke.

More personal best times were made in the younger age groups. Lyndon Mwine and Elishama Tayebwa from Gators swim had a time of their life when they dominated the Boys 6 years and under. In the same age group for the girls, Alma Kirabo of Sailfish and Gabriella Asangaasa of Black Panther were evenly matched as they traded places over the four strokes.

Tzion Tamale was the standout in the Boys 7-8 years age group, while Paula Tamara edged the rest in the Girls’ category. Ashton Suubi won the Girls 9-10 age group, and so did her bigger sister Peyton Suubi in the 13-14 age group. Jordan Musoke of Sailfish was unstoppable in the Boys 9-10.

The other age groups were a foregone conclusion as Zara Mbanga and Abdou Hakim won the 12-year age groups, with Arthur Mwase topping the Boys 13-14 years age group. Charlotte Sanford and Tendo Kaumi dominated the 15 years and over. The competition had some bit of nostalgia as many swimmers who are in boarding school returned to competitive swimming.