By Daniel Nyeko
Nancy Chebet and Peace Busingye, Uganda’s women’s beach volleyball duo, delivered a strong performance to claim bronze at the CAVB Zone V Beach Volleyball Championship held in Bujumbura, Burundi, from October 23 to 25.
The Ugandan pair showed remarkable grit and resilience after losing the first set 16-21, before bouncing back to win the next two 21-15 and 15-01, defeating Tanzania’s Evalyne Albert and Mariam Omary 2-1 to seal third place on Saturday.
Their path to the podium was anything but easy. In the semifinals, Uganda fell narrowly to the host team of Emelyne Igiraneza and Nadia Buntubwimana in a tense three-set thriller. Uganda lost the first set 16–21, fought back to win the second 21–19, but the Burundians edged the decider to advance to the final.
Despite that setback, Chebet and Busingye regrouped impressively for the third-place playoff, combining solid defense with sharp attacking play to earn Uganda a well-deserved medal.
Head coach Edward Benje praised his team’s effort throughout the tournament, saying he was grateful to God for the bronze medal and proud of Nancy and Peace.
He also acknowledged the hosts’ preparation, noting that Burundi’s team had trained for over a month, giving them an advantage in the semifinals. Still, he commended Uganda’s cohesion, determination, and fighting spirit.
