Jaguar wins Dolphins junior swim tourney

In a close Ugandan swimming contest, Jaguar Swim Club did the unthinkable when it won this year’s edition of the Dolphins Junior Championship by beating the tournament’s favourite, Dolphins Swim Club, by just four points.

Returning after four years due to the disruption from the Covid-19-related effects, the Dolphins Junior Championship offered the most highly-billed contest for Uganda’s junior swimmers. And the well-organized event lived up to its usual hype when it attracted 13 clubs to Lloli Park, the home of the Dolphins swim club, on April 1 and 2.

And as usual, Dolphins, the country’s most decorated swim club, was expected to take the trophy. However, Zara Mbanga and her younger brother, Giovanni Mbanga, together with Austin Wanyama, had different ideas.

The three, who won the overall trophies for their different age groups, played a key role in pushing Jaguar over the line, with the club winning the championship with 409 points compared to the Dolphins’ 405 points.

Austin Wanyama had a comfortable sail to the top when he won four out of his five races for the age group of boys 7 years and under. Mishna Lubega of Acquatics had to fend off a late charge from Hertz swimming club’s Aya Adams to win the same age group as the girls.

A nearly similar rivalry took place in the girls 8–9 age group as Mushira Nabatanzi from Acquatics Swim Club took the battle to Otters’ Nisha Pearly Najjuma.

The two shared the first and second positions throughout their five individual duels. Aiden Immelman from Torpedoes Swim Club battled hard but lost out to Ssango Kigundu from Acquatics Swim Club over four individual events.