Uganda’s secondary school athletes are heading to Kakamega, Kenya, for the 2025 Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games, and for the first time, lacrosse will be part of the action.
The flag-off ceremony at the National Council of Sports headquarters in Lugogo marked a historic moment as lacrosse joined the FEASSA program as a demonstration sport, alongside beach soccer, cricket, and dance sport.
While the Ugandan delegation includes 1,582 athletes from 66 secondary schools and 11 primary schools competing in 22 disciplines, all eyes will be on the players introducing the fast-paced stick-and-ball game to the region.
Christopher Mugisha Banage, CEO of the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA), hailed lacrosse’s debut as a milestone for sports diversity in schools.
“It’s exciting to see a sport like lacrosse, which combines speed, skill, and teamwork, get a platform at this level. This is how we grow new talent,” he said.
Dr. Patrick Benard Ogwel, General Secretary of the National Council of Sports, encouraged the team to use the FEASSA Games to inspire interest and prove Uganda can compete on a regional stage.
“The secret to success is discipline and strategy. I urge our teams to show that lacrosse belongs in East African school competitions,” he said.
Sammy Odong, Assistant Commissioner for Physical Education and Sports, also stressed the need to develop such emerging sports from the grassroots, noting that introducing lacrosse to primary schools will ensure a stronger presence in future secondary competitions.
